Candidate Resources

Overview

This page includes resources and information for candidates who have filed for election to the Sammamish City Council or for any community members interested in learning more about the election.

The Sammamish City Council consists of seven residents who are elected to four-year terms by the community. Elections are "at-large," meaning councilmembers represent the population of the whole city, rather than individual electoral districts. There are four City Council seats on the ballot in 2025 for terms beginning in 2026.

Information about candidates and ballot measures is located on the King County Elections website.

Questions? 

The City encourages candidates to ask questions. To ensure transparency and equal access to information, all candidate questions and responses will be posted on the Questions & Answers webpage. 

Campaigning Guidance

All campaigning activities are considered a form of speech and, in general, must be allowed on public property that is open to the general public, subject only to content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions. Generally, speech activities must not interfere with others’ rights to enjoy the public space, interfere with or obstruct pedestrian or auto traffic, or violate other applicable laws. The placement of political signs, specifically, is subject to the City’s sign provisions described lower on this page. 

Additionally, pursuant to state law, no public facilities (e.g. public buildings, offices, office supplies, telephones, computers, printers and all other city office supplies, etc.) may be used for campaigning purposes (either for a ballot measure or individuals running for office).

Staff is preparing a document summarizing guidance on campaigning throughout the city and anticipates posting it to this webpage by mid-April. 

Campaign Signage

All signs placed within Sammamish City limits, including campaign signs, are regulated by Sammamish Development Code (SDC) Section 21.06.050 and within the Town Center, in SDC 21.07.090.

Typical campaign signs fall under the "noncommercial temporary sign" category in SDC 21.06.050(G) and SDC 21.07.090(N). 

Please read these regulations carefully before placing any signs in the community. Campaign staff and volunteers are responsible for knowing where signs can and cannot be located. The following is a summary of some of the key requirements contained in these Code sections. 

Size

The type of sign and its location will determine the allowable size.

Please see SDC 21.06.050(G) and SDC 21.07.090(N) for more information.

Placement

In general, non-commercial temporary signs:

1. May not be placed in the following locations:

   • Sidewalks

   • Center medians

   • Vehicle travel lanes

   • Traffic circles or islands

   • Roundabouts & areas on the outside edge of a roundabout

   • Attached to traffic control signs

   • Attached to utility or signal poles

   • Planting strips adjacent to City-owned land

2. May not be illuminated.

3. May not be placed in a way that negatively affects the health of trees, shrubs, or other landscaping.

4. On roads with no sidewalk, non-commercial temporary signs may not be placed so that any part of the sign extends over the asphalt.

5. Must meet the sight distance requirements in SDC 21.04.030(W) 

Please see the Campaign Guidance Summary (available on this webpage by mid-April) for more specific information on the placement of temporary signs in public parks and at city-sponsored events

Please see SDC 21.06.050(G) and SDC 21.07.090(N) for more information.

Duration

Non-commercial temporary signs, except A-frame signs placed in City right-of-way, may be posted for a maximum of 180 days per calendar year. A-frame signs may be posted for a maximum of  5 consecutive days. Sign and property owners are responsible for removing their signs after they have been posted for the maximum allowed duration.

Please see SDC 21.06.050(G) and SDC 21.07.090(N) for more information.

Violations

The city is authorized to remove any signs placed in violation of the sign code regulations. Enforcement of the regulations is described in SDC 21.06.050(J) and SDC 21.07.090(Q).

If you notice that your signs were removed, and you would like to pick-up the signs, please email Code Compliance at codecompliance@sammamish.us. Please be aware of the following:

• The City will charge an impound fee of $25 per sign returned, pursuant to SMC 23.100.

• The City will discard signs 7 days after they are impounded, pursuant to SDC 21.060.050(J)(5)(a).

• The City will not contact the campaign when removing signs. The campaign must contact the City.

Reporting Violations

Community members who see improperly placed signage may report it to the City by completing the Code Violation Form.

Sammamish Form of Government

The City of Sammamish is organized under the "Council-Manager" form of government as opposed to the "Mayor-Council" form.

Under the Council-Manager form, the elected city council is responsible for policymaking. They establish goals and policies, approve a budget and tax rate, adopt local laws (ordinances), and supervise the city manager's performance.

The council hires a professional city manager who is responsible for administration. The City Manager carries out the council's direction, serves as the council's chief advisor, directs the daily operations of city government, handles personnel functions (including the power to appoint and remove employees) and is responsible for preparing the budget for city council's consideration.

Under the council-manager statutes, the city council is prohibited from interfering with the manager's administration. The city manager, however, is directly accountable to and can be removed by a majority vote of the council.

The council-manager form is based on the model of a business with a board of directors that appoints a chief executive officer. Another familiar public example is the school board-superintendent relationship.

In council-manager cities, the council appoints a ceremonial mayor to chair the council meetings and who is recognized as the head of the city for ceremonial purposes but has no regular administrative duties. In Sammamish, council also appoints a deputy mayor to serve in the mayor's absence.

For more information on forms of government, please see this article from MRSC.

Where can candidates learn more about the City?

There are many resources available for candidates looking for information about the City, including:

• The City's website has a wide variety of information about the City and current projects
• The City's YouTube channel contains an archive of City meetings and other City videos
• The Sammamish CivicWeb Portal includes agenda materials for City Council and Commission meetings
• The Sammamish Municipal Code contains the local laws of Sammamish (also links to the Comprehensive Plan)
• The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) includes information on a wide variety of city topics, including information on running for local elected office.