According to the Election Department, enough candidates have had their signatures certified to provide for an automatic primary with the regard to the at-large political contest. Eleven qualifiers is the benchmark for setting off a primary.
As of today, there are 11 qualifiers.
It is our understanding that some incumbents are suggesting that the city forgo the primary because it will cost $55,000, the thinking being that it is simply too expensive to allow some people to place their names on the ballot.
This cannot and should not be allowed to happen.
Everyone who qualifies under the election laws of this city has the right to have their name on the ballot and to run.
Whether they win or lose is not the essence of the issue – and whether it costs $55,000 cannot be allowed to be made the issue.
The mayor and the city government have wasted far more than $55,000 on no show jobs, bloated salaries and expensive extras that have nothing whatsoever to do with saving city money.
Spending $55,000 for a primary is a small price to pay for maintaining Everett as a place where constitutional law rules, and where every man and woman has the right to place their name on the city ballot if they conform to the requirements of the city charter.
The primary for the at-large contest must be allowed.
To do otherwise is to show a serious lack of concern about legal political process.