For long-time Sammamish resident Harry Shedd, a “yes” for the initiative and referendum advisory vote is a no brainer.

“Who could vote against a constitutional privilege,” Shedd said. “This is a very simple deal. … We should have these voting rights.”

The advisory vote on the April 28 ballot is to gauge how many residents want these rights, but majority approval does not automatically give Sammamish citizens initiative and referendum powers. The city council would still have to approve it.

If the city council approves initiative and referendum powers, the public would have the ability to initiate and enact certain types of legislation, as well as repeal or approve certain types of ordinances adopted by the council.

The opposition to the ballot says the initiatives and referenda are not needed in the city, as it is one of the best-run cities in America. Some council members have their reservations as well, worried the powers could do more harm than good.

Shedd, part of the grassroots group Citizens for Sammamish, has been working to get the measure on the ballot since November 2014; he’s been advocating for these rights, however, for several years.

He thinks the majority of people will vote yes; now it’s a matter of waiting to see how many turnout.

Shortly after the city council put the issue up for a public vote in February, Citizens for Sammamish took to the streets. Red signs supporting the measure are stationed throughout the city.

“It’d be nice to have input on the council,” sign waver and long-term resident Dean DeAlteriis said. He and others were stationed at Issaquah-Pine Lake Road and 228th Avenue NE a few weeks ago.

An initiative gives voters the ability to enact legislation directly, without council approval. A referendum gives residents a chance to vote on an ordinance 30 days after the council passes it.

At the state level, since 1912, all Washington residents have initiative and referendum powers, but only about 35 percent of Washington cities have them at the local level.

At the county level, about 43 percent of King County cities have initiatives and referenda, according to 2014 Municipal Research and Services Center data.

However, since most of the county’s top 10 largest cities have these powers — excluding Kirkland, Sammamish and the county portion of Auburn — about 80 percent of county residents live in a town with initiatives and referenda. These percentages were generated using 2012 King County population data.

“About the only way we can express our interests is through these voting rights,” Shedd said. “It’s a matter of having it there. … We’d like it ready if we have a hot-button issue.”

The public would not use these right very often, Shedd said, in part because time consuming process.

It begins with a petition. The petition must have signatures from registered voters equal to 15 percent of the number of registered voters in the city as of the most recent general election.

There are 28,660 people registered to vote in Sammamish, as of King County’s April 1 records.

If a valid petition filed seeks a referendum, the ordinance goes to vote at the election. If a valid petition filed for an initiative, the council can approve it within 20 days or they can send it to the polls.

There seems to be some fear over outside money influencing citizens, as the legislation would allow for paid signature collectors. In the voter’s pamphlet, Steve Teichler, who wrote the opposing statement, mentioned Tim Eyman’s initiatives within the state as an example of how outside interest groups could cost citizens money.

Eyman, a conservative political activist for small government, has history of taking on initiatives throughout the state, like trying to repeal Seattle’s $15 minimum wage.

Deputy Mayor Kathleen Huckabay big concerns include the lack of public process. With initiatives and referenda, Huckabay is worried the short time period allotted to get these issues on a ballot would not fully explore the public’s opinion and it would curb in-depth analysis and conversation.

The argument that this is a way to keep the council in check, doesn’t hold with Huckabay. The process to get something on the council agenda and then to approve it is a valid method for keeping tabs on council action, she said.

There is an extensive, and somewhat broad, list of topics citizens could use initiatives and referenda on.

Topics likely to be subject to initiatives and referenda:

• Petition to reduce city limits
• Power to provide auxiliary water system for fire protection
• Power to create equipment fund
• Power to establish, construct and maintain dikes and levees
• Power to accept donations of property
• Authorization to construct, acquire and maintain ferries
• Power to establish solid waste handling system
• Power to establish sewers, drainage and water supplies
• Power to regulate sidewalks
• Authority to require removal of debris/plants
• Authority to establish lake management districts
• Authority to establish youth agencies
• Authority to assist development of low-income housing
• Authority to own/operate professional spots franchise
• Authority to acquire/construct multi-purpose community center
• Authority to participate in Wold Fairs and expositions
• Authority to construct sidewalks, gutters, curbs
• Power to adopt code city or charter cod city status

Topics not likely to be subject to initiatives and referenda:

• Consolidation/annexation of one city to another
• Annexation of unincorporated areas
• Assumption of water-sewer districts
• Power to acquire auditoriums, art museums, swimming pools, etc.
• Power to create special funds (payroll and claims)
• Authority to designate streets as parkways or to transfer maintenance responsibilities
• Power to establish residency qualifications for appointed officials/preference in employment
• Power to purchase liability and workman’s compensation insurance
• Power to establish transportation benefit districts
• Power to participate in economic opportunity act programs
• Authority to promote tourism
• Authority to establish public ambulance utility
• Authority to revise corporate boundary (street center lines)
• Authority to create special funds, sell revenue bonds, warrants and set rates
• Authority to order local improvements
• Authority to classify streets, vacate street or regulate unfit dwellings, buildings and structures

These lists, using information from the MRSC, are not complete. To read more, visiti http://mrsc.org/getmedia/18593ba0-fa89-4776-84dc-3dcab86b3449/initiativereferendumguide.pdf.aspx?ext=.pdf.

King County ballot boxes will be stationed at city hall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 25, 27 and 18.