Editing Darrington, Washington (section)

==Government and politics==
[[File:Library and town hall, Darrington, WA.jpg|thumb|right|Darrington's town hall, which also houses a [[public library]] operated by [[Sno-Isle Libraries]]]]
Darrington is an incorporated [[town (Washington)|town]] that operates under a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government.<ref name="SAO">{{cite web |date=December 28, 2017 |title=Financial Statements Audit Report: Town of Darrington |pages=4, 24 |url=https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?isFinding=false&arn=1020417 |publisher=[[Washington State Auditor]] |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> It is one of two towns within Snohomish County, the other being [[Index, Washington|Index]], the only incorporated place in the county with a smaller population than Darrington.<ref name="Buildable">{{cite web |date=June 12, 2013 |title=Snohomish County 2012 Buildable Lands Report |page=4{{hyphen}}5 |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7662/2012-Buildable-Lands-Report?bidId= |publisher=Snohomish County |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The five [[city council|town council]] members regularly meet twice per month and are elected to four-year terms alongside the mayor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Town Council |url=https://townofdarrington.com/Departments/town-council/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The current mayor, Dan Rankin, a [[sawmill]] owner and former councilmember, was elected in 2011; he has twice been re-elected.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=October 9, 2015 |title=Ronning challenging Rankin in Darrington mayoral race |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/ronning-challenging-rankin-in-darrington-mayoral-race/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref>

The town government handles and manages public safety, public works, administration, and parks and recreation.<ref name="SAO"/> It also operates a public [[cemetery]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=May 25, 2017 |title=Darrington celebrates centennial of the town's cemetery |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-celebrates-centennial-of-the-towns-cemetery/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 3, 2019}}</ref> the municipal [[airport]], and contracts for [[utilities|utility services]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Departments |date=April 11, 2018 |url=https://townofdarrington.com/departments/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The mayor and town council appoint a clerk [[treasurer]] and the heads of various government departments.<ref name="SAO"/>

{{As of|2016}}, the town government employs seven people and has an annual budget of $3 million.<ref name="SAO"/>{{Update inline|date=July 2020}} The town has an independent [[fire department]] with two stations, but contracts with the [[Snohomish County Sheriff]] for policing and emergency services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Emergency Services |url=https://townofdarrington.com/emergency-services/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|pages=73–79}} The town also has a [[public library]] branch operated by the [[Sno-Isle Libraries]] system and located in the town hall complex, which was built in 1990 and expanded in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=December 4, 2008 |title=Darrington celebrates its revamped library |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-celebrates-its-revamped-library/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=2016 |title=Sno-Isle Libraries 2016–2025 Capital Facilities Plan |page=23 |url=https://www.sno-isle.org/assets/12682/12682_20160727113900.pdf |publisher=[[Sno-Isle Libraries]] |access-date=March 11, 2019 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919033009/https://www.sno-isle.org/assets/12682/12682_20160727113900.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town lacks home delivery of mail, requiring residents to use the local [[post office]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis-Leonard |first=Ian |date=November 14, 2020 |title=Darrington post office's limited access has residents peeved |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-post-offices-limited-access-has-residents-peeved/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=November 16, 2020}}</ref>

At the federal level, Darrington is part of the [[Washington's 8th congressional district|8th congressional district]], which encompasses the eastern portions of the Snohomish, [[King County, Washington|King]], and [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]] counties as well as the entirety of [[Chelan County, Washington|Chelan]] and [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas]] counties.<ref>{{cite map |author=Census Bureau Geography Division |year=2023 |title=118th Congress of the United States: Washington – Congressional District 8 |scale=1:368,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST53/CD118_WA08.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The town was part of the [[Washington's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]] until 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=October 25, 2022 |title=Snohomish County in middle of key battle for control of U.S. House |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-in-middle-of-key-battle-for-control-of-u-s-house/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> At the state level, Darrington shares the [[Washington's 39th legislative district|39th legislative district]] with Lake Stevens, [[Granite Falls, Washington|Granite Falls]], and eastern [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit County]].<ref>{{cite map |author=Washington State Redistricting Commission |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Legislative District 39 |page=40 |work=District Maps Booklet 2022 |url=https://leg.wa.gov/LIC/Documents/Maps/Redistricting%20Map%20Booklet_2022.pdf |publisher=Washington State Legislative Information Center |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The city lies in the [[Snohomish County Council]]'s 1st district, which includes most of the county north of Everett and Lake Stevens.<ref>{{cite map |date=May 12, 2022 |title=Snohomish County: County Council Districts |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/99589/County-Council-Districts-PDF |publisher=Snohomish County Elections |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=August 2, 2017 |title=Nehring and Low lead their respective County Council races |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/nehring-and-low-lead-their-respective-county-council-races/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref>

While Snohomish County as a whole favors the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in elections, Darrington has generally supported [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidates. During the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]], Darrington had the highest percentage of votes in Snohomish County for [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Donald Trump]], at 61 percent compared to 33 percent for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Hillary Clinton]], who carried the county. Similarly, in the same year's [[2016 Washington gubernatorial election|gubernatorial election]], 59 percent of Darrington voters preferred Republican [[Bill Bryant (politician)|Bill Bryant]] over incumbent Democrat [[Jay Inslee]], who was re-elected.<ref name="Herald-2016Election">{{cite news |last1=Cornfield |first1=Jerry |last2=Catchpole |first2=Dan |date=November 14, 2016 |title=Trump voters elated but most of Snohomish County followed state |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/trump-voters-elated-but-most-of-snohomish-county-followed-state/ |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429040554/http://www.heraldnet.com/news/trump-voters-elated-but-most-of-snohomish-county-followed-state/ |archive-date=April 29, 2017 |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Some Democrats have succeeded in Darrington, however. In the [[2012 United States presidential election in Washington (state)|2012 presidential election]], [[Barack Obama]] won the town with 52 percent of the vote.<ref name="Herald-2016Election"/>