Title 35 — Title 35 CITIES AND TOWNS
49 chapters · 1,261 sections in this title.
RCW 35.17.010 Definition of commission form.
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The commission form of city government means a city government in which the legislative powers and duties are exercised by a commission of three, consisting of a mayor, a commissioner of finance and accounting, and a commissioner of streets and public improvements, and in which t…
RCW 35.17.020 Elections—Terms of commissioners—Vacancies.
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(1) All regular elections in cities organized under the statutory commission form of government shall be held quadrennially in the odd-numbered years on the dates provided in RCW 29A.04.330. However, after commissioners are elected at the next general election occurring in 1995 o…
RCW 35.17.030 Laws applicable.
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Cities organized under the commission form have all the powers of cities of the second class and shall be governed by the statutes applicable to cities of that class to the extent to which they are appropriate and not in conflict with provisions specifically applicable to cities …
RCW 35.17.035 Second-class cities, parking meter revenue for revenue bonds.
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See RCW 35.23.454.
RCW 35.17.040 Offices.
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The commission shall have and maintain an office at the city hall, or such other place as the city may provide.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.040. Prior: 1955 c 309 s 3; prior: 1943 c 25 s 4, part; 1911 c 116 s 14, part; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 9103, part.]
RCW 35.17.050 Meetings.
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Regular meetings of the commission shall be held on the second Monday after the election of the commissioners and thereafter at least once each week on a day to be fixed by ordinance. Special meetings may be called by the mayor or two commissioners. All meetings of the commission…
RCW 35.17.060 President.
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The mayor shall be president of the commission. He or she shall preside at its meetings when present and shall oversee all departments and recommend to the commission, action on all matters requiring attention in any department.[ 2009 c 549 s 2014; 1965 c 7 s 35.17.060. Prior: 19…
RCW 35.17.070 Vice president.
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The commissioner of finance and accounting shall be vice president of the commission. In the absence or inability of the mayor, he or she shall perform the duties of president.[ 2009 c 549 s 2015; 1965 c 7 s 35.17.070. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 15, part; RRS s 9104, part.]
RCW 35.17.080 Employees of commission.
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The commission shall appoint by a majority vote a city clerk and such other officers and employees as the commission may by ordinance provide. Any officer or employee appointed by the commission may be discharged at any time by vote of a majority of the members of the commission.…
RCW 35.17.090 Distribution of powers—Assignment of duties.
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The commission by ordinance shall determine what powers and duties are to be performed in each department, shall prescribe the powers and duties of the various officers and employees and make such rules and regulations for the efficient and economical conduct of the business of t…
RCW 35.17.100 Bonds of commissioners and employees.
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Every member of the city commission, before qualifying, shall give a good and sufficient bond to the city in a sum equivalent to five times the amount of his or her annual salary, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his or her office. The bonds must be appro…
RCW 35.17.105 Clerk may take acknowledgments.
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The clerk or deputy clerk of any city having a commission form of government shall, without charge, take acknowledgments and administer oaths required by law on all claims and demands against the city.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.105.]
RCW 35.17.108 Salaries of mayor and commissioners.
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The annual salaries of the mayor and the commissioners of any city operating under a commission form of government shall be as fixed by charter or ordinance of said city. The power and authority conferred by this section shall be construed as in addition and supplemental to power…
RCW 35.17.120 Officers and employees—Salaries and wages.
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All appointive officers and employees shall receive such compensation as the commission shall fix by ordinance, payable monthly or at such shorter periods as the commission may determine.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.120. Prior: 1943 c 25 s 4, part; 1911 c 116 s 14, part; Rem. Supp. 1943 s …
RCW 35.17.130 Officers and employees—Creation—Removal—Changes in compensation.
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The commission shall have power from time to time to create, fill and discontinue offices and employments other than those herein prescribed, according to their judgment of the needs of the city; and may, by majority vote of all the members, remove any such officer or employees, …
RCW 35.17.150 Officers and employees—Passes, free services prohibited, exceptions—Penalty.
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No officer or employee, elected or appointed, shall receive from any enterprise operating under a public franchise any frank, free ticket, or free service or receive any service upon terms more favorable than are granted to the public generally: PROVIDED, That the provisions of t…
RCW 35.17.170 Financial statements—Monthly—Annual.
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The commission shall each month print in pamphlet form a detailed itemized statement of all receipts and expenses of the city and a summary of its proceedings during the preceding month and furnish copies thereof to the state library, the city library, the newspapers of the city,…
RCW 35.17.180 Legislative power—How exercised.
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Each member of the commission shall have the right to vote on all questions coming before the commission. Two members of the commission shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of at least two members shall be necessary to adopt any motion, resolution, ordinance, or cou…
RCW 35.17.190 Legislative ordinances and resolutions.
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Every resolution and ordinance adopted by the commission shall be signed by the mayor or by two members of the commission and filed and recorded within five days of its passage. The mayor shall have no veto power.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.190. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 10, part; RRS s 9099, p…
RCW 35.17.200 Legislative—Appropriations of money.
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No money shall be appropriated except by ordinance and every such ordinance complete in the form in which it is finally passed shall remain on file with the city clerk for public inspection at least one week before final passage.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.200. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 16, par…
RCW 35.17.210 Legislative—Street improvements.
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Every ordinance or resolution ordering any street improvement or sewer complete in the form in which it is finally passed shall remain on file with the city clerk for public inspection at least one week before final passage.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.210. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 16, part; RR…
RCW 35.17.220 Legislative—Franchises—Referendum.
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No franchise or right to occupy or use the streets, highways, bridges or other public places shall be granted, renewed, or extended except by ordinance and every such ordinance complete in the form in which it is finally passed shall remain on file with the city clerk for at leas…
RCW 35.17.230 Legislative—Ordinances—Time of going into effect.
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Ordinances shall not go into effect before thirty days from the time of final passage and are subject to referendum during the interim except:(1) Ordinances initiated by petition;(2) Ordinances necessary for immediate preservation of public peace, health, and safety which contain…
RCW 35.17.240 Legislative—Referendum—Filing suspends ordinance.
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Upon the filing of a referendum petition praying therefor, the commission shall reconsider an ordinance subject to referendum and upon reconsideration shall defeat it in its entirety or shall submit it to a vote of the people. The operation of an ordinance so protested against sh…
RCW 35.17.250 Legislative—Referendum—Petitions and conduct of elections.
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All provisions applicable to the character, form, and number of signatures required for an initiative petition, to the examination and certification thereof, and to the submission to the vote of the people of the ordinance proposed thereby, shall apply to a referendum petition an…
RCW 35.17.260 Legislative—Ordinances by initiative petition.
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Ordinances may be initiated by petition of registered voters of the city filed with the commission. If the petition accompanying the proposed ordinance is signed by the registered voters in the city equal in number to twenty-five percent of the votes cast for all candidates for m…
RCW 35.17.270 Legislative—Initiative petition—Submission procedures.
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The petitioner preparing an initiative petition for submission to the commission shall follow the procedures established in RCW 35.21.005.[ 1996 c 286 s 5; 1965 c 7 s 35.17.270. Prior: (i) 1911 c 116 s 21, part; RRS s 9110, part. (ii) 1911 c 116 s 20, part; RRS s 9109, part. (iii…
RCW 35.17.280 Legislative—Initiative petition—Checking by clerk.
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Within ten days from the filing of a petition submitting a proposed ordinance the city clerk shall ascertain and append to the petition his or her certificate stating whether or not it is signed by a sufficient number of registered voters, using the registration records and retur…
RCW 35.17.290 Legislative—Initiative petition—Appeal to court.
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If the clerk finds the petition insufficient or if the commission refuses either to pass an initiative ordinance or order an election thereon, any taxpayer may commence an action in the superior court against the city and procure a decree ordering an election to be held in the ci…
RCW 35.17.300 Legislative—Initiative—Conduct of election.
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Publication of notice, the election, the canvass of the returns and declaration of the results, shall be conducted in all respects as are other city elections. Any number of proposed ordinances may be voted on at the same election, but there shall not be more than one special ele…
RCW 35.17.310 Legislative—Initiative—Notice of election.
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The city clerk shall cause any ordinance or proposition required to be submitted to the voters at an election to be published once in each of the daily newspapers in the city not less than five nor more than twenty days before the election, or if no daily newspaper is published i…
RCW 35.17.330 Legislative—Initiative—Effective date—Record.
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If the number of votes cast thereon favor the proposed ordinance, it shall become effective immediately and shall be made a part of the record of ordinances of the city.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.17.330. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 21, part; RRS s 9110, part.]
RCW 35.17.340 Legislative—Initiative—Repeal or amendment.
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Upon the adoption of an ordinance initiated by petition, the city clerk shall write on the margin of the record thereof "ordinance by petition No. . . . .," or "ordinance by vote of the people," and it cannot be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.1…
RCW 35.17.350 Legislative—Initiative—Repeal or amendment—Method.
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The commission may by means of an ordinance submit a proposition for the repeal or amendment of an ordinance, initiated by petition, by submitting it to a vote of the people at any general election and if a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition favor it, the ordinance s…
RCW 35.17.360 Legislative—Initiative—Repeal or amendment—Record.
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Upon the adoption of a proposition to repeal or amend an ordinance initiated by petition, the city clerk shall write upon the margin of the record of the ordinance "repealed (or amended) by ordinance No. . . . .," or "repealed (or amended) by vote of the people."[ 1965 c 7 s 35.1…
RCW 35.17.370 Organization on commission form—Eligibility—Census.
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Any city having a population of two thousand and less than thirty thousand may organize as a city under the commission form of government. The requisite population shall be determined by the last preceding state or federal census or the council may cause a census to be taken by o…
RCW 35.17.380 Organization—Petition.
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Upon petition of electors in any city equal in number to twenty-five percent of the votes cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding city election therein, the mayor by proclamation shall cause to be submitted the question of organizing the city under the commission …
RCW 35.17.390 Organization—Ballots.
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The proposition on the ballot shall be: "Shall the proposition to organize the city of (name of city) under the commission form of government be adopted?" followed by the words: "For organization as a city under commission form" and "against organization as a city under commissio…
RCW 35.17.400 Organization—Election of officers—Term.
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The first election of commissioners shall be held at the next special election that occurs at least sixty days after the election results are certified where the proposition to organize under the commission form was approved by city voters, and the commission first elected shall …
RCW 35.17.410 Organization—Effect on ordinances—Boundaries—Property.
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All bylaws, ordinances and resolutions in force when a city organizes under the commission form shall remain in force until amended or repealed.The boundaries of a city reorganized under the commission form shall not be changed thereby.All rights and property vested in the city b…
RCW 35.17.420 Organization—Revision of appropriations.
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If, at the beginning of the term of office of the first commission elected in a city organized under the commission form, the appropriations for the expenditures of the city for the current fiscal year have been made, the commission, by ordinance, may revise them.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.…
RCW 35.17.430 Abandonment of commission form.
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Any city which has operated under the commission form for more than six years may again reorganize as a noncommission city without changing its classification unless it desires to do so.[ 1965 ex.s. c 47 s 3; 1965 c 7 s 35.17.430. Prior: 1911 c 116 s 23, part; RRS s 9112, part.]
RCW 35.17.440 Abandonment—Method.
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Upon the filing of a petition praying therefor, signed by not less than twenty-five percent of the registered voters resident in the city, a special election shall be called at which the following proposition only shall be submitted: "Shall the city of (name of city) abandon its …
RCW 35.17.450 Abandonment—Conduct of election—Canvass.
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The sufficiency of the petition for the abandonment of the commission form of city government shall be determined, the election ordered and conducted, the returns canvassed and the results declared as required by the provisions applicable to the proceedings for the enactment of a…
RCW 35.17.460 Abandonment—Effect.
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If a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition of abandoning the commission form of city government favor the proposition, the city shall be reorganized under general laws immediately upon the first election of city officers, which shall be held on the date of the next gene…