Editing Monroe, Washington (section)

==Government and politics==

Monroe is a non-charter [[code city]] with a [[mayor–council government]].<ref>{{cite web |date=December 31, 2018 |title=Financial Statements Audit Report: City of Monroe |pages=17–19 |url=https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?isFinding=false&arn=1022791 |publisher=[[Washington State Auditor]] |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> The seven-member [[city council]] typically meets once a week at the [[city hall]], built in 1977 and located at a [[civic center]] campus southwest of downtown.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 13, 2016 |title=Monroe City Council Rules of Procedure |pages=2–4 |url=http://www.monroewa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4573/Council-Rules-of-Procedure_ADOPTED_091316 |publisher=City of Monroe |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref><ref name="AppendixG">{{cite book |date=December 2015 |title=City of Monroe 2015–2035 Comprehensive Plan |chapter=Appendix G – Capital Facilities: Public Services & Utilities |page=1 |chapter-url=https://www.monroewa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3685/Appendix-G---Capital-Facilities-Public-Services--Utilities |publisher=City of Monroe |ref={{SfnRef|City of Monroe Comprehensive Plan Appendix G|2015}} |access-date=September 28, 2019}}</ref> The city councilmembers and mayor serve four-year terms that are staggered and filled in elections held during odd-numbered years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elected Officials |url=http://www.monroewa.gov/66/City-Council |publisher=City of Monroe |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> Six of the councilmembers are from districts, while the seventh is elected [[at-large]]; prior to 2017, the at-large seat was elected to a two-year term.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 1, 2016 |title=City of Monroe Ordinance No. 018/2016 |url=https://www.monroewa.gov/Archive/ViewFile/Item/1568 |publisher=City of Monroe |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> The current mayor is Geoffrey Thomas, a former councilmember and city planner who was first elected in 2013 and won re-election in 2017 and 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hutton |first=Caleb |date=October 20, 2017 |title=Mayor's office, 3 council seats contested in Monroe election |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mayors-office-3-council-seats-contested-in-monroe-election/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Office of the Mayor |url=https://www.monroewa.gov/568/Mayor |publisher=City of Monroe |access-date=May 4, 2025}}</ref>

The city government has 113 employees and an annual budget of $27.1&nbsp;million in 2017, overseen by a [[city administrator]] appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. The government provides municipal services through its departments, which include community development, economic development, [[emergency service]]s, a [[municipal court]], parks and recreation, [[planning permission|permitting]], [[public work]]s, and [[public utility|utilities]].<ref>{{cite web |date=December 31, 2018 |title=Accountability Audit Report: City of Monroe |page=7 |url=https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?isFinding=false&arn=1022782 |publisher=Washington State Auditor |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Departments and Services |url=https://www.monroewa.gov/8/Departments |publisher=City of Monroe |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> The city has a [[police department]] with 32 officers and 10 civilian workers.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 8, 2018 |title=Monroe police chief to retire after 16 years in leadership |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/monroe-police-chief-to-retire-after-16-years-in-leadership/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> Other services, including the [[fire department|fire district]] (based in Monroe) and [[public library]], are contracted out to regional authorities and agencies.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=January 17, 2019 |title=Fire districts in Lake Stevens, Monroe could merge in 2020 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/fire-districts-in-lake-stevens-monroe-could-merge-in-2020/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref>

At the federal level, Monroe 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> It was part of the [[Washington's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]] until 2022, when the 8th district was extended into Snohomish County.<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, the city is part of the [[Washington's 12th legislative district|12th legislative district]], which also crosses the Cascade Mountains and includes [[Skykomish, Washington|Skykomish]], part of [[Snoqualmie, Washington|Snoqualmie]], and all of Chelan County except for [[Wenatchee, Washington|Wenatchee]].<ref>{{cite map |date=July 2024 |title=Washington State Legislative & Congressional District Map |url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/Road%20Map_01.pdf |at=[https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/Road%20Map%20Inset_01.pdf Puget Sound inset] |publisher=[[Washington State Redistricting Commission]] |accessdate=October 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=November 24, 2021 |title=Proposed political map links cities from Monroe to Wenatchee |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/proposed-political-map-links-cities-from-monroe-to-wenatchee/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> Monroe was previously part of the [[Washington's 39th legislative district|39th legislative district]] until it was moved into the cross-mountain district as part of a redistricting compromise in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=December 3, 2021 |title=State Supreme Court declines to draw new redistricting plan |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/state-supreme-court-declines-to-draw-new-redistricting-plan/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The city lies within the [[Snohomish County Council]]'s 5th district, which includes the Skykomish Valley, Snohomish, and [[Lake Stevens, Washington|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>

===Correctional centers===
{{main|Monroe Correctional Complex}}

The [[Washington State Department of Corrections]] operates several [[prison]] facilities in the city, which have been consolidated into the [[Monroe Correctional Complex]] since 1998.<ref name="Corrections">{{cite web |date=October 15, 2008 |title=Monroe Correctional Complex |url=http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/monroe.asp |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Corrections]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015034153/http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/monroe.asp |archive-date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=November 7, 2008}}</ref> It is the largest prison in the state, with capacity for 2,500 inmates and detainees, and is divided into five units across a  {{convert|365|acre|ha|adj=mid}} campus that is staffed by 1,185 workers.<ref name="Herald-MCC">{{cite news |last=Stevick |first=Eric |date=January 22, 2012 |title=Monroe Correctional Complex is state's biggest big house |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120122/BLOG48/701229955 |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126054222/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120122/BLOG48/701229955 |archive-date=January 26, 2012 |access-date=October 2, 2019}}</ref> The Washington State Reformatory opened in 1908 and expanded with a unit for mentally-ill prisoners in 1981 and the 500-bed Twin Rivers medium-custody facility in 1984.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The 467-inmate minimum-security unit opened in 1997 and an intensive management unit was opened in 2007 to house 144 inmates at higher security levels.<ref name="Corrections"/><ref name="Herald-MCC"/> The state legislature's proposal to close the complex in 2009 due to its high costs was withdrawn and replaced with cuts to capacity at other facilities.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=October 14, 2009 |title=Monroe prison dodges closure |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/monroe-prison-dodges-closure/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=October 2, 2019}}</ref>