Op-Ed: Brian Heywood’s Plan to Take Over Snohomish County Government Must Be Stopped

Snohomish County voters will decide on five charter amendments this fall, including two backed by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood that would make county offices nonpartisan and require an 80% council supermajority for tax increases. The changes are part of a Republican strategy to gain control of the county government, potentially affecting Sound Transit and Community Transit decisions that could impact the broader region. However, this article focuses on Snohomish County politics and has limited direct relevance to Burien.