City Government: The City began with the incorporation of the town of Winslow in 1947. In 1991, the city annexed the remainder of the Island, establishing the City of Bainbridge Island. The annexation allowed the city government to take full responsibility for providing dedicated services to the entire island. As a non-charter code city, Bainbridge Island originally operated under a Mayor/Council form of government. The form of government has been changed following a May 19, 2009 vote in which a majority of islanders expressed a preference for the Council/Manager form of government. This form of government is regulated under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 35A.13.
