Title 35 — Title 35 CITIES AND TOWNS

Every town shall be entitled the "Town of . . . . . . . . ." (naming it), and by such name shall have perpetual succession, may sue, and be sued in all courts and places, and in all proceedings whatever; shall have and use a common seal, alterable at the pleasure of the town auth…

Whenever a petition is presented to the council of any incorporated town in this state, signed by not less than five electors of such town, setting forth that in the belief of the petitioners, the boundaries of said town are indefinite and uncertain and that on account of such in…

The board of county commissioners upon receipt of the certified copy of said petition, and the request aforesaid, shall cause the same to be filed in the office of the county auditor and forthwith proceed to examine the boundaries of the town and make the same definite and certai…

The board of county commissioners, without unnecessary delay, shall make and file a report of their doings in the premises in the office of the county auditor, who shall transmit a certified copy thereof under the seal of the county, to the clerk of the town, and the clerk shall …

The expense of such proceedings shall be paid by the town at whose request the same is incurred. The county commissioners shall each receive as compensation, an amount not exceeding the amount allowed by law for their usual services as commissioners, and, any surveyor or other as…

The government of a town shall be vested in a mayor and a council consisting of five members and a treasurer, all elective; the mayor shall appoint a clerk and a marshal; and may appoint a town attorney, pound master, street superintendent, a civil engineer, and such police and o…

No person shall be eligible to or hold an elective office in a town unless he or she is a resident and registered voter in the town.[ 1997 c 361 s 8; 1965 c 7 s 35.27.080. Prior: 1890 p 200 s 149; RRS s 9170.]

All general municipal elections in towns shall be held biennially in the odd-numbered years as provided in RCW 29A.04.330. The term of office of the mayor and treasurer shall be four years and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with *…

All elections in towns shall be held in accordance with the general election laws of the state.[ 1994 c 223 s 21; 1965 c 7 s 35.27.100. Prior: 1890 p 200 s 148; RRS s 9169.]Notes:Elections: Title 29A RCW.

Every officer of a town before entering upon the duties of his or her office shall take and file with the county auditor his or her oath of office. The clerk, treasurer, and marshal before entering upon their respective duties shall also each execute a bond approved by the counci…

The mayor and members of the town council may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties upon presentation of a claim therefor and its allowance and approval by resolution of the town council. The mayor and members of the council may also…

(1) The council of a town may declare a council position vacant if that councilmember is absent from the town for three consecutive council meetings without the permission of the council. (2) A vacancy in an elective office shall occur and shall be filled as provided in chapter 4…

The mayor shall preside over all meetings of the council at which he or she is present. A mayor pro tempore may be chosen by the council for a specified period of time, not to exceed six months, to act as the mayor in the absence of the mayor. The mayor shall sign all warrants dr…

The town treasurer shall receive and safely keep all money which comes into his or her hands as treasurer, for all of which he or she shall give duplicate receipts, one of which shall be filed with the clerk. He or she shall pay out the money on warrants signed by the mayor and c…

The council of every town may provide by ordinance that the office of treasurer be combined with that of clerk or that the office of clerk be combined with that of treasurer. This ordinance shall not be voted upon until the next regular meeting after its introduction and shall re…

Upon the consolidation of the office of treasurer with that of clerk, the office of treasurer shall be abolished and the clerk shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties required by statute or ordinance to be performed by the treasurer; in the execution of any paper…

Every town which has combined the office of treasurer with that of clerk or the office of clerk with that of treasurer may terminate the combination by ordinance, fixing the time when the combination shall cease and providing that the duties thereafter be performed by separate of…

Every officer collecting or receiving any money belonging to a town shall settle for it with the clerk on the first Monday of each month and immediately pay it into the treasury on the order of the clerk to be credited to the fund to which it belongs.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.27.210. Prior…

The town clerk shall be custodian of the seal of the town. The town clerk may appoint a deputy for whose acts he or she and his or her bondspersons shall be responsible. The town clerk and his or her deputy may administer oaths or affirmations and certify to them, and may take af…

The proceedings of the town council shall be kept in a book marked "records of council."The town clerk shall keep a book marked "town accounts," in which shall be entered on the debit side all moneys received by the town including but not limited to proceeds from licenses and gen…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5974-S2.SL) ***The department of police in a town shall be under the direction and control of the marshal subject to the direction of the mayor. He or she may pursue and arrest violators of town ordinances beyond the town limits.The marshal's lawful or…

The town attorney shall advise the town authorities and officers in all legal matters pertaining to the business of the town.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.27.250. Prior: 1890 p 212 s 171; RRS s 9189.]Notes:Employment of legal interns: RCW 35.21.760.

See RCW 35.23.170.

The town council shall meet in January succeeding the date of the general municipal election, shall take the oath of office, and shall hold regular meetings at least once each month at such times as may be fixed by ordinance. Special meetings may be called at any time by the mayo…

A majority of the councilmembers shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance.The mayor shall …

The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be as follows: "Be it ordained by the council of the town of . . . . ."Every ordinance shall be signed by the mayor and attested by the clerk.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.27.290. Prior: 1917 c 99 s 1, part; 1890 p 204 s 155, part; RRS s 9178, part.]

Promptly after adoption, the text of each ordinance or a summary of the content of each ordinance shall be published at least once in the official newspaper of the town.For purposes of this section, a summary shall mean a brief description which succinctly describes the main poin…

The town clerk shall keep a book marked "ordinances" into which he or she shall copy all town ordinances, with his or her certificate annexed to said copy stating that the foregoing ordinance is a true and correct copy of an ordinance of the town, and giving the number and title …

No ordinance or resolution granting any franchise for any purpose shall be passed by the council on the day of its introduction, nor within five days thereafter, nor at any other than a regular meeting, and no such ordinance or resolution shall have any validity or effect unless …

All demands against a town shall be presented to and audited by the council in accordance with such regulations as they may by ordinance prescribe. Upon allowance of a demand the mayor shall draw a warrant therefor upon the treasurer; the warrant shall be countersigned by the cle…

A town, by ordinance, may adopt a policy for the payment of claims or other obligations of the town, which are payable out of solvent funds, electing to pay such obligations by warrant or by check. However, when the applicable fund is not solvent at the time payment is ordered, a…

Every town may designate any daily or weekly newspaper published or of general circulation therein as its official newspaper and all notices published in that newspaper for the period and in the manner provided by law or the ordinances of the town shall be due and legal notice.[ …

See RCW 35.23.352.

The council of said town shall have power:(1) To pass ordinances not in conflict with the Constitution and laws of this state, or of the United States;(2) To purchase, lease or receive such real estate and personal property as may be necessary or proper for municipal purposes, an…

See chapter 82.14A RCW.

See RCW 35.21.710.

See RCW 35.23.454.

See chapter 80.58 RCW.

See RCW 87.03.825 through 87.03.840.

Whenever it becomes necessary for a town to take or damage private property for the purpose of establishing, laying out, extending, and widening streets and other public highways and places within the town, or for the purpose of rights-of-way for drains, sewers, and aqueducts, an…

See RCW 35.23.455.

See RCW 35.23.460.

Towns are hereby given the power to establish fire limits with proper regulations; to acquire by purchase or otherwise, lands for public parks within or without the limits of the town, and to improve the same.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.27.400. Prior: 1961 c 58 s 1; 1899 c 103 s 1; RRS s 917…

Every act or thing done or being within the limits of a town, which is declared by law or by ordinance to be a nuisance shall be a nuisance and shall be so considered in all actions and proceedings. All remedies given by law for the prevention and abatement of nuisances shall app…

A town may impose upon and collect from every inhabitant of the town over eighteen years of age an annual street poll tax not exceeding two dollars and no other road poll tax shall be collected within the limits of the town.[ 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 s 52; 1971 ex.s. c 292 s 62; 1965…

When any special fund of a public utility department of a town has retired all bond and warrant indebtedness and is on a cash basis, if a reserve or depreciation fund has been created in an amount satisfactory to the state auditor and if the fixing of the rates of the utility is …

A town operating a municipal court may not repeal in its entirety that portion of its municipal code defining crimes or repeal a provision of its municipal code which defines a crime equivalent to an offense listed in RCW 46.63.020 unless the municipality has reached an agreement…

Towns are authorized to provide off-street parking space and facilities for motor vehicles, and the use of real property for such purpose is declared to be a public use.[ 1994 c 81 s 54; 1965 c 7 s 35.27.550. Prior: 1961 c 33 s 1.]Notes:Off-street parking facilities, cities of th…

In order to provide for off-street parking space and/or facilities, such towns are authorized, in addition to their powers for financing public improvements, to finance their acquisition through the issuance and sale of revenue bonds and general obligation bonds. Any bonds issued…

Such towns are authorized to obtain by lease, purchase, donation and/or gift, or by eminent domain in the manner provided by law for the exercise of this power by cities, such real property for off-street parking as the legislative bodies thereof determine to be necessary by ordi…