Sounders Community Trust: Understanding the most important election in S2 history

Seattle has been an experiment for American sports. Nowhere else in any major American sport were fans given the level of power that the Sounders gave their fans when they joined MLS. Since that announcement, fans now have the ability to own S2 through the Sounders Community Trust (SCT) and have a say with both the club’s governing and how they are represented at the USL. Today is the first day that ALL general members get to have a say about it with an up-down vote of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Every member of the SCT has been sent a ballot via email and has until July 14 to cast their vote.

It has been about 20 months since S2 launched, but SCT is finally close to formalizing how it fits as part of the ownership group. An MOU has been pieced together and as members, we get to vote. This would have also been the time we voted on board members, but the positions have all been filled with candidates running unopposed. That leaves the MOU with the Sounders as the one thing general members still have a say in.

The MOU is broken down into four sections: fundraising support, intellectual property, executive board, and club administration/facility support. The first two are fairly vague but give an understanding that SCT is able to collect funds from select events at S2 matches as well as some game revenue. SCT can also use the club’s IP for charity events with some limitations.

SCT’s Executive Board has a rep that sits on S2 Executive Board via the elected officials, this part states the Sounders will have a minimum of five board members including one from the SCT. If the Board grows, so does the number of SCT members on it keeping a minimum of 20% representation.

Facility support and administration details that SCT can use the club’s resources at Starfire as well as Pioneer Square for free. While it is not very clear what SCT gets besides the ability to have mail go there and using classrooms at Starfire on an as-needed basis, it does show a commitment to intertwine S2 and the SCT.

This vote is important, it is the first and even though all the Board is running unopposed and your vote is for one thing and one thing only, this is the one chance all general members have to speak up until the next election. This vote is your voice on the MOU, on the SCT, and on S2. Make your voice known.