An initiative that would have asked King County voters to decide whether the county executive, County Council and assessor should be elected on a nonpartisan basis won't be on the ballot this fall.

The sponsor of Initiative 22, the Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights, failed to collect the signatures of more than 44,000 registered voters, a requirement to qualify for the ballot.

I-22 campaign consultant Steve Finley said volunteers gathered between two-thirds and three-quarters of the required number of signatures, but realized they wouldn't make this week's deadline for submitting signatures to the county for verification.

"I think the reality is, unfortunately, you've got to get paid signature-gatherers," Finley said.

Shoreline

Another candidate

to challenge Sims

Gentry Lange, voting activist and real-estate agent, yesterday announced his candidacy for King County executive under the Green Party banner.

He is the second candidate to challenge incumbent Ron Sims, who is running for re-election. Metropolitan King County Councilman David Irons, R-Sammamish, also is running against Sims.

Lange, a Shoreline resident who was campaign manager for Andy Stephenson's unsuccessful campaign for secretary of state last year, said the election process needs to be "wrested from the corporate secrecy and influence that currently exists."

He said he would boot out the corporate contractors who provide ballot-counting equipment, and sort and mail absentee ballots. Lange said he also would address traffic congestion, pollution and "unchecked suburban sprawl."

Seattle

Airport neighbors

may get noise relief

Nine plans for reducing noise around Boeing Field in Seattle, including one that frees as much as $85 million for improvements to neighboring homes, were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The plans were submitted by King County and airport officials after a decade of discussions that started when noisy cargo planes became a staple of the airport, sometimes waking neighbors during the night.

The FAA had a Tuesday deadline to decide on the plans and local officials learned of the decision yesterday.

Only one plan — creating a map of combined noise from Sea-Tac and Boeing Field airports — was not approved by the FAA because Boeing Field, also known as King County International Airport, already had created the map and nothing else was necessary.

Neighbors who may be eligible for home improvements will be contacted by the airport in coming weeks.

Seattle

Councilwoman backs

rail, trail plan corridor

King County should develop a "rail and trail plan" for a 47-mile rail corridor that stretches from Renton to Snohomish, Metropolitan King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson said yesterday.

County Executive Ron Sims has asked the council for $3.5 million in refundable earnest money, and $300,000 for staff and legal costs to continue exclusive negotiations for purchase of the rail line from BNSF Railway.

Patterson, D-SeaTac, yesterday circulated an amendment that would delay any decision on specific uses until the Puget Sound Regional Council makes a recommendation. She said she hopes for "a combination of uses."

The rail line is used by freight trains and the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train.

Olympia

County, cities want

to stop tax-foe effort

San Juan County and the cities of Auburn, Kent and Seattle asked a judge yesterday to stop gas-tax-increase foes from raising and spending money.

The lawsuit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, argues the campaign for Initiative 912 has violated the state's campaign-finance laws by failing to disclose the identities of all of its contributors.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction and penalties to stop I-912 campaign organizers from spending money from unidentified sources. A hearing has been set for July 1.

But a spokesman for NoNewGasTax.com said the campaign has been cooperating with the Public Disclosure Commission, and that the omissions were not intentional.

NoNewGasTax.com is trying to collect 275,000 signatures on I-912 and force a public vote this fall — something the tax foes hope will result in a rollback of the planned 9.5-cent increase in the state's 28-cent-per-gallon gas tax.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a 16-year, $8.5 billion transportation package anchored by the gas tax. Automatic increases are authorized annually.

Times staff and news services