Current government
Cle Elum states that it operates under mayor-council government. The elected mayor is the chief administrative officer, and the seven-member council is the legislative body.
Facts and official sources
Read the law. Check the record.
Claims on this site are separated from proposals and linked to primary or authoritative public sources.
Fact check
What the official record supports
Administrator transition
Mayor Matthew Lundh announced that the standalone City Administrator position will end January 31, 2027 and that the Public Works manager is expected to assume expanded city-administrator responsibilities in February. The announced staffing change does not change the city’s legal form of government.
Proposed manager
Under chapter 35A.13 RCW, the council appoints a city manager who becomes chief executive and head of administration, responsible to the council.
Decision-maker
The council may initiate an election by resolution, or registered voters may initiate it by sufficient petition. Either route leads to a voter decision.
Petition threshold
State law requires at least 10% of votes cast at the last general municipal election. The county reports 420 participating Cle Elum voters in 2025, suggesting 42 valid signatures, subject to Auditor confirmation.
Incumbent mayor
If voters approve a mayor-council to council-manager change, the incumbent mayor serves as a councilmember for the remainder of the mayoral term.
Limits
The governance change affects executive authority and selection. It does not itself erase debt, change court orders, approve taxes, or guarantee performance.
Campaign disclosure
On June 25, 2026, the Washington PDC granted Cle Elum’s petition restoring disclosure under Title 29B RCW. This initiative should not rely on the small-jurisdiction exemption.
Why the stakes are not theoretical
The City Heights record spans years, administrations, and escalating consequences.
The City’s own public history identifies three arbitration rounds arising from the 2011 development agreement. The third produced a $22.23 million award in November 2024. The City later filed Chapter 9 in June 2025 after the obligation, added amounts, and collection pressure had grown.
This record does not establish that mayor-council government caused the bankruptcy. It does establish that Cle Elum must be capable of managing long-running, high-dollar, legally complex matters—and that failures to correct course can compound across election cycles.
- City of Cle Elum — City Heights arbitration recordThe City describes the 2011 agreement, three arbitration rounds, and the November 2024 award.
- City of Cle Elum — Chapter 9 announcement (PDF)The City describes the June 24, 2025 filing, the judgment-related obligation, garnishments, and the stated purpose of protecting essential services.
Washington law
Controlling statutes
These statutes govern the proposed change and the council-manager structure. Links open the Legislature’s current RCW pages.
- RCW 35A.06.030Authorization to change plans; incumbent officers and mayor-to-council transition.
- RCW 35A.01.040Paper petition sheets, signature fields, statutory warning, eligibility, and the six-month signature limit.
- RCW 35A.06.040Council resolution and registered-voter petition routes; 10% threshold.
- RCW 35A.06.050Election timing and preparation of the ballot title.
- RCW 35A.06.060Majority approval and reorganization following the election.
- Chapter 35A.13 RCWCouncil-manager officers, manager authority, council chair, appointment, and removal.
- RCW 29A.04.330Permitted election dates and general-election scheduling.
Local and practical sources
City, county, and MRSC records
These sources establish Cle Elum’s current structure, the announced administrator transition, voter participation, and Washington municipal practice.
- City of Cle Elum — City CouncilCurrent city statement that Cle Elum uses mayor-council government.
- City of Cle Elum — Mayor’s OfficeCurrent description of the elected mayor’s executive and administrative role.
- City of Cle Elum — Administrative ServicesCity description of the appointed administrator working under the mayor’s authority.
- Mayor Lundh — November 3 public updatePublic announcement that the standalone administrator position will end January 31, 2027 and that the Public Works manager is expected to assume expanded duties in February.
- Kittitas County — 2025 participation totals (PDF)Lists 420 participating voters in the City of Cle Elum.
- Kittitas County — 2023 sample ballot (PDF)Shows the Cle Elum mayoral office as a four-year term.
- MRSC — City and Town Forms of GovernmentAuthoritative municipal overview and change-of-government procedures.
Campaign compliance
The 2026 PDC decision matters.
Cle Elum would ordinarily fall below the registered-voter threshold for a small-jurisdiction exemption. However, the PDC granted the city’s petition on June 25, 2026 and ordered disclosure by individuals and entities within the jurisdiction as otherwise required by Title 29B RCW.
Campaign expenses already incurred, including website or domain costs, could trigger PDC registration or reporting duties even without donations. Those obligations should be confirmed with the PDC now, rather than deferred until fundraising or petition circulation. A public political website must identify the actual sponsor and mailing or physical address on its first page in compliant size and placement.
Ongoing compliance: sponsor identification is displayed on this site. Applicable committee registration, reporting, and contributor-disclosure requirements remain the sponsor’s responsibility and should be confirmed with the Washington PDC.
- PDC minutes — June 25, 2026 (PDF)Motion 26-032 grants Cle Elum’s petition for disclosure.
- PDC — Sponsor ID: what to includeActual sponsor identity, address requirements, and contributor disclosures.
- PDC — Sponsor ID placement and sizeFirst-page, set-apart, legibility, and minimum-size rules for websites.
- PDC — Political committee FAQRegistration and reporting guidance for ballot-measure committees.
Method
Facts, proposals, and unknowns
Facts are linked to official records. Proposals describe what this initiative recommends. Inferences are labeled as preliminary. Unknowns—including the certified petition denominator, final fiscal comparison, ballot date, effective date, and transition terms—remain open until the responsible public authority resolves them.
This site is civic information and advocacy, not legal advice. Requirements should be confirmed with the Kittitas County Auditor, the City Attorney, and the Washington PDC before action.
Source review date: November 7, 2026.