Proposition 10
(Police Chief Examination)
Ballot Title
Shall the Seattle City Charter be amended to eliminate the requirement that a competitive examination be administered to all candidates for Chief of Police; and shall Section 2 of Article VI of the Charter of the City of Seattle be amended and Section 3 of Article VI of said charter be deleted accordingly?
Voter-Pamphlet Explanation
The Charter as it Exists Now
Article 6 of the Charter deals with the City's police department.
Section 2 of Article 6 sets out, among other things, the process by which the Police Chief is selected and removed. According to that section, the Police Chief is to be appointed by the Mayor, subject to City Council confirmation. Section 2 also requires that the Mayor select the Police Chief "…from among the three highest ranking candidates in a competitive examination to be conducted under the direction of the Mayor."
Section 3 of Article 6 sets out requirements concerning the competitive examination to be administered to candidates for Police Chief. According to that section, the examination "shall adequately test the qualifications of all candidates…" The section also states that all records of these examinations "shall be filed with the City Council by the Mayor together with his appointment of the Chief of Police." In addition, these records must be open for public inspection for at least 7 days before the City Council takes action on the Police Chief's appointment.
The Effect of the Proposition if Adopted
Section 2 of Article 6 would be amended to eliminate the requirement that a competitive examination be given to Police Chief candidates, and the requirement that the Mayor select the Police Chief from among the three highest-ranking candidates in such an examination.
Section 3 of Article 6 would be deleted.