The Port of Everett has scheduled several open houses to discuss its Port Boundary Enlargement Ballot Measure, which will be on voters’ ballot in August. The first open house is Thursday, May 16 at the Monroe Community Senior Center.
About the Port Boundary Enlargement Measure:
While many large port districts in Washington state are county-wide — including all other ports in the state that operate international seaports — the Port of Everett is not. Currently, Port boundaries cover most of Everett, portions of Mukilteo, and small parts of Marysville and unincorporated Snohomish County — a total of about 110,000 residents, according to their press release.
With nearly 830,000 residents and growing, only about 15% of the County has access to port tools and investments. This significantly restricts how the Port of Everett can help advance economic and community priorities across Snohomish County, which is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.
On March 12, the petition was unanimously passed by the County Council, officially moving the measure to the ballot. The measure, slated for the August 2024 primary, will consider enlarging the Port District to include most of Snohomish County.
“This is the first time in 106 years that Snohomish County residents will get to vote on the scale and scope of their Port,” Port of Everett Executive Director/CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “Snohomish County has changed dramatically in this time, so it will be good to give the new generation a voice in the matter.”
The Port of Everett claims the measure will support economic assets in Snohomish County by “allowing it to invest in new economic opportunities across the County in areas it cannot today.”
Open house lineup:
- East County: May 16, 2024 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monroe Community Senior Center
- Central East County: May 23, 2024 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Hartford Hall at The Mill Lake Stevens
- South County: May 30, 2024 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Lynnwood Event Center
- Southeast County: June 3, 2024 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Willis Tucker Activity Center
- North County: June 13, 2024 | 5-7 p.m. Stilly Valley Center
- Central County: June 20, 2024 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. Marysville Opera House
How can you learn more?
Website: An informational webpage is available with information on the boundary enlargement measure, including FAQs @ www.portofeverett.com/boundarymeasure.
Translation and accessibility tools are available on the webpage or can be requested at [email protected].
