Editing Index, Washington (section)

==Government and politics==
[[File:Index Town Hall, 2021.jpg|thumb|Index Town Hall]]

Index is an incorporated [[City government in Washington (state)|town]] with a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Washington City and Town Profiles |url=https://mrsc.org/research-tools/washington-city-and-town-profiles |publisher=[[Municipal Research and Services Center]] |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> The [[mayor]] and five-member [[town council]] are elected to four-year terms by residents who are eligible to vote.<ref name="HazardPlan"/> {{As of|2025}}, Norm Johnson is the town's mayor.<ref>{{cite web |title=MRSC Officials Directory |url=https://mrsc.org/mrsctools/officials-directory/city.aspx?ci=i |publisher=Municipal Research and Services Center |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> Index's government has three employed positions: a [[city clerk|clerk]] for day-to-day management, a maintenance person, and a water distribution manager to oversee the water supply. The town contracts with the county government to provide additional services such as fire and building inspections and land use planning.<ref name="HazardPlan"/> The [[Snohomish County Sheriff's Office]] provides [[law enforcement]] and [[search-and-rescue]] services,<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Debra |date=November 14, 2008 |title=Sultan eliminates its police department |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sultan-eliminates-its-police-department/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 9, 2025}}</ref> while Sky Valley Fire is contracted for [[firefighting]] and protection in a partnership with the [[volunteer firefighter]] district.<ref name="Herald-Fire"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Davis-Leonard |first=Ian |date=September 4, 2020 |title=Many more searches and rescues: First responders are busy |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/recent-rescues-part-of-uptick-for-county-first-responders/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 9, 2025}}</ref>

The town had the highest [[voter turnout]] of any municipality in Snohomish County from 2013 to 2023, with 60{{nbsp}}percent of residents returning a ballot in the 2023 general election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=December 4, 2023 |title=Index, smallest town in Snohomish County, is No. 1 in voter turnout |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/index-smallest-town-in-snohomish-county-is-no-1-in-voter-turnout/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 23, 2023}}</ref> At the federal level, Index 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 16, 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 16, 2024}}</ref> At the state level, the town 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 16, 2024}}</ref> Index 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 16, 2024}}</ref> The town also 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 16, 2024}}</ref>