“The history of every political establishment in which this principle has prevailed is a history of impotence, perplexity and disorder.”
“All provisions which require more than a majority of any body to its resolutions have a direct tendency to embarrass the operations of the government and an indirect one to subject the sense of the majority to that of the minority. This consideration seems sufficient to determine our opinion…”
Alexander Hamilton
The Federalist #75

There is a proposal on the November 2026 ballot in Snohomish County to add a number of amendments to the county charter. The charter for a county defines the rules the county council has to follow about making laws, just as the US Constitution does for the United States. In thinking about amendments to foundational documents like this it’s worth taking a moment to think about the similarities with the US Constitution and how well that’s served us for over 250 years.

The debates over the US Constitution involved some of the best minds of their generation. The best exposition of how they got to some of the defining features are expounded in The Federalist Papers, a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. You may have been required to read a few of these in high school. These were smart dudes who built a country.

Those smart dudes were very, very careful about supermajority requirements. The Snohomish County Charter Commission proposed 4/5ths, or an 80% vote to approve new taxes or to spend from either of the new stabilization funds in Snohomish County. This requirement is higher than any supermajority requirement in the US Constitution. Higher than approving treaties, and even higher than amending the Constitution itself. This would allow a very small majority of the council to override the majority almost every time. About 70% of the county’s budget is for law enforcement and courts. This small majority could prevent adequate funding for these critical services.

I want Snohomish County to be a functional government. I want them to provide adequate law enforcement. I want the courts to work. I want the roads to be maintained. I also want low taxes. These concerns push against each other, and we elect County Council members to find the right balance. This balance will change over time. If I don’t like the choices council members make I’ll vote the bums out. A supermajority requirement is a recipe for “impotence, perplexity and disorder.”