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===Board of directors=== [[File:Ruth Fisher Board Room (Sound Transit) at Union Station - Nov 2024.jpg|thumb|right|The Ruth Fisher Board Room at [[Union Station (Sound Transit)|Union Station]]]] Sound Transit is governed by a [[board of director]]s with 18 members who are appointed based on their positions in regional and local governments.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Board's role |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/board-directors |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228024450/https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/board-directors |url-status=live}}</ref> One seat is held by the [[Washington State Department of Transportation|Washington State Secretary of Transportation]], while the remaining seventeen are local elected positions appointed by the [[county executive]]s of [[King County, Washington|King]], [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]], and [[Snohomish, Washington|Snohomish]] counties, with approval of the respective county councils.<ref name="Times-ElectBoard">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=November 17, 2016 |title=State senator calls for direct elections of Sound Transit board member |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/state-senator-calls-for-direct-elections-of-transit-board-members/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229064028/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/state-senator-calls-for-direct-elections-of-transit-board-members/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The only fixed positions among these appointments are the county executives themselves and representatives from the largest city in each of the three counties; other positions are filled by representatives from other cities or unincorporated areas.<ref name="WSDOT-Summary2023">{{WSDOT Public Transit Summary |year=2023 |pages=12, 222 |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> Major decisions, including annexations, system plans, and the annual budget, require a two-thirds majority of boardmembers.<ref name="RCW-81.112.040">{{cite web |year=1994 |title=RCW 81.112.040: Board appointments—Voting—Expenses. |url=https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=81.112.040 |work=[[Revised Code of Washington]] |publisher=Washington State Legislature |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807102541/https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=81.112.040 |url-status=live}}</ref> The board has ten members from King County, four from Pierce County, and three from Snohomish County.<ref name="Board"/> The seats were allocated proportional to their population within the Sound Transit district in 1994, with each seat representing approximately 145,000 people at the time.<ref name="RCW-81.112.040"/> Sound Transit is authorized to expand its board to up to 25 members and adjust the allocation between the counties based on the results of the [[United States census|decennial census]].<ref name="Lundin">{{cite book |last=Lundin |first=Steve |year=2015 |title=The Closest Governments to the People: A Complete Reference Guide to Local Government in Washington State |edition=2nd |pages=571–575 |publisher=[[Municipal Research and Services Center]] |location=Seattle |oclc=959745725 |url=https://mrsc.org/getmedia/1c25ae05-968c-4edd-8039-af0cf958baa7/closest-governments-to-the-people.pdf.aspx |accessdate=January 23, 2025}}</ref> A bill to require board seats to be directly elected from within 11 districts was passed by the [[Washington State Senate]] in 2017 but was not considered by the House Transportation Committee.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gutman |first=David |date=March 4, 2017 |title=Sound Transit board ouster unlikely, but car-tax change has support |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-board-ouster-unlikely-but-car-tax-change-has-support/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 15, 2024}}</ref> In 2019, Sound Transit added a non-voting seat for a labor liaison that is recommended by labor organizations and appointed to a four-year term.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 21, 2024 |title=Sound Transit Motion No. M2024-76 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/st_sharepoint/download/sites/PRDA/FinalRecords/2024/Motion%20M2024-76.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=January 23, 2025}}</ref> The agency's policies are set by the board through their decisions, including maintenance of the long-range plan, budget, and project details. The full board meets at the Ruth Fisher Board Room in Union Station on the fourth Thursday of the month; their meetings are open to the public and streamed online.<ref>{{cite web |title=Board meetings |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/board-directors/board-meetings |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229065256/https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/board-directors/board-meetings |url-status=live}}</ref> The board selects a chair and two vice chairs to serve two-year terms and also assign members to four committees: the Executive Committee, Rider Experience and Operations, System Expansion, and Finance and Audit.<ref>{{cite press release |date=December 20, 2018 |title=Redmond Mayor John Marchione appointed chair of Sound Transit Board |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/redmond-mayor-john-marchione-appointed-chair-sound-transit |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229064431/https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/redmond-mayor-john-marchione-appointed-chair-sound-transit |url-status=live}}</ref> In the event that the chair or vice chairs leave office or are otherwise unable to serve their full term, the vacancy can be filled by another member for the remainder of the term.<ref>{{cite press release |date=December 19, 2019 |title=University Place Mayor Kent Keel appointed chair of Sound Transit Board |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/university-place-mayor-kent-keel-appointed-chair-sound |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229064432/https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/university-place-mayor-kent-keel-appointed-chair-sound |url-status=live}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ Sound Transit Board members, as of 2025<ref name="Board">{{cite web |date=April 2025 |title=Board Members |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/board-directors/board-members |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 1, 2025}}</ref> |- !Member !Position !County |- |[[Dave Somers]] (Chair) |[[Snohomish County Executive]] |Snohomish |- |[[Claudia Balducci]] (Vice Chair) |Councilmember, King County |King |- |[[Ryan Mello]] (Vice Chair) |[[Pierce County Executive]] |Pierce |- |Nancy Backus |Mayor, [[Auburn, Washington|City of Auburn]] |King/Pierce |- |Angela Birney |Mayor, [[Redmond, Washington|City of Redmond]] |King |- |[[Shannon Braddock]] |[[King County Executive]] |King |- |Cassie Franklin |Mayor, [[Everett, Washington|City of Everett]] |Snohomish |- |Christine Frizzell |Mayor, [[Lynnwood, Washington|City of Lynnwood]] |Snohomish |- |Hunter T. George |Councilmember, [[Fircrest, Washington|City of Fircrest]] |Pierce |- |[[Bruce Harrell]] |Mayor, [[Seattle|City of Seattle]] |King |- |Julie Meredith |[[Washington Secretary of Transportation]] |{{sort dash}} |- |Ed Prince |Councilmember, [[Renton, Washington|City of Renton]] |King |- |[[De'Sean Quinn]] |Councilmember, King County |King |- |Kim Roscoe |Mayor, [[Fife, Washington|City of Fife]] |Pierce |- |[[Dan Strauss]] |Councilmember, City of Seattle |King |- |[[Pete von Reichbauer|Peter von Reichbauer]] |Councilmember, King County |King |- |Kristina Walker |Councilmember, [[Tacoma, Washington|City of Tacoma]] |Pierce |- |[[Girmay Zahilay]] |Councilmember, King County |King |- |Lisa Bogardus |Labor Liaison (non-voting) |{{sort dash}} |}
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