Politics & Government

Bellevue Retains Hague and Dunn on King County Council after Approval of Redistricting Plan

The boundaries were redrawn as a result of the 2010 Census population data.

Some east Bellevue residents now are being represented by a new King County Council member, after the King County Council unanimously approved new boundaries for its districts.

Bellevue has been split between two districts: 6, represented by King County Councilwoman Jane Hague, and 9, represented by King County Councilman Reagan Dunn.

Hague, who has been on the King County Council since 1994, taking more than 54 percent of the vote in latest tallies, over her challenger Richard E. Mitchell of Mercer Island. Mitchell conceded over the weekend.

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The Bellevue City Council wrote a letter to the committee earlier this year stating that city officials viewed the split -- and the attention of two King County Council members --  as an asset.

The new boundaries continue to split Bellevue into the two districts, but the new boundaries represented by Hague includes the eastern portion of Bellevue that used to be represented by Dunn, with the new District 6 boundary stretching further to the east to Issaquah.

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Hague's district has been redrawn in the north end, with the inclusion of Woodinville, more of the western edge of Redmond and the exclusion of Juanita and Finn Hill from District 6.

Finn Hill resident and that Hague’s involvement in Juanita and Finn Hill issues will be missed.

“She’s always had a good feel for what was important to the neighborhood,” he said.

Though Dunn's district boundaries have moved slightly, with parts of rural King County south of Snoqualmie moving to District 3, the new District 9 still contains the same municipalities that he represented before, including the south Bellevue neighborhoods, Newcastle and parts of Renton.

“The Committee reached unanimous agreement on this plan thanks to the members’ commitment to work together, follow an open process, and truly listen to the communities of King County,” said Chair Terrence Carroll in a prepared statement. “Public testimony was a cornerstone of our process: it raised new ideas, helped us better understand communities of interest, and enabled us to come together around common principles.”

The Districting Committee’s public process included seven public hearings in Bellevue, Des Moines, Kent, Kirkland, Seattle, and Shoreline. The Committee released four draft redistricting proposals in June that explored different approaches to meeting redistricting requirements.

Council district boundaries must be redrawn after each U.S. Census to make each district as nearly equal in population as possible. All districts in the approved plan are within one-quarter of one percent of the 2011 Council district target population of 214,583, according to a press release from the King County Council.

Under the law, the new district boundaries must be compact, contiguous, and composed of economic and geographic units. To the extent feasible, the districts must correspond with the boundaries of existing municipalities, election precincts, census tracts, recognized natural boundaries, and preserve communities of related and mutual interest. Population data may not be used for purposes of favoring or disfavoring any racial group or political party. A final plan must be approved by Jan. 15, 2012.

-- Additional reporting by Greg Johnston, editor, Kirkland Patch


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