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Washington Statutes, Title 35

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Washington/Statutes

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Title 35, CITIES AND TOWNS

91 chapters · 1,750 sections in this title.

All chapters in Title 351,750 Ch 35.21, Miscellaneous provisions.206 Ch 35.58, Metropolitan municipal corporations.81 Ch 35.23, Second-class cities.75 Ch 35.13, Annexation of unincorporated areas.70 Ch 35.22, First-class cities.68 Ch 35.92, Municipal utilities.62 Ch 35.27, Towns.55 Ch 35.17, Commission form of government.45 Ch 35.44, Local improvements—Assessments and r…45 Ch 35.02, Incorporation proceedings.42 Ch 35.61, Metropolitan park districts.39 Ch 35.82, Housing authorities law.39 Ch 35.63, Planning commissions.36 Ch 35.43, Local improvements—Authority—Initiat…35

55 sections·Filtered byTitle 35✕Ch 35.27✕

RCW 35.27.010 Rights, powers, and privileges.
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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…
RCW 35.27.030 Uncertain boundaries—Petition—Request for examination.
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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…
RCW 35.27.040 Duty of county commissioners.
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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…
RCW 35.27.050 Report of survey.
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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 …

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RCW 35.27.060 Expense of proceedings.

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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…

RCW 35.27.070 Town officers enumerated.

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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…

RCW 35.27.080 Eligibility to hold elective office.

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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.]

RCW 35.27.090 Elections—Terms of office.

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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 *…

RCW 35.27.100 Conduct of elections.

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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.

RCW 35.27.120 Oath and bond of officers.

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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…

RCW 35.27.130 Compensation of officers and employees—Expenses—Nonstate pensions—Limitations.

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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…

RCW 35.27.140 Vacancies.

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(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…

RCW 35.27.160 Mayor—Duties—Powers—Mayor pro tempore.

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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…

RCW 35.27.170 Town treasurer—Duties.

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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…

RCW 35.27.180 Treasurer and clerk may be combined.

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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…

RCW 35.27.190 Effect of consolidation of offices.

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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…

RCW 35.27.200 Abandonment of consolidation.

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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…

RCW 35.27.210 Duty of officers collecting moneys.

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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. Prio…

RCW 35.27.220 Town clerk—Duties.

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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…

RCW 35.27.230 Records to be kept by clerk.

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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 ge…

RCW 35.27.240 Town marshal—Police department—Eligibility requirements.

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The department of police in a town shall be under the direction and control of the marshal subject to the direction of the mayor. The town and marshal must comply with the requirements set forth in RCW 35.21.333 and 35.21.334. The marshal may pursue and arrest violators of town o…

RCW 35.27.250 Town attorney—Duties.

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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.

RCW 35.27.260 Park commissioners.

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See RCW 35.23.170.

RCW 35.27.270 Town council—Oath—Meetings.

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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…

RCW 35.27.280 Town council—Quorum—Rules—Journal.

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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…

RCW 35.27.290 Ordinances—Style—Signatures.

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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…

RCW 35.27.300 Ordinances—Publication—Summary—Public notice of hearings and meeting agendas.

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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 poi…

RCW 35.27.310 Ordinances—Clerk to keep book of ordinances.

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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 …

RCW 35.27.330 Ordinances granting franchises—Requisites.

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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 …

RCW 35.27.340 Audit and allowance of demands against town.

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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…

RCW 35.27.345 Payment of claims and obligations by warrant or check.

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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…

RCW 35.27.350 Contract for town printing.

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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. […

RCW 35.27.362 Contracts, purchases, advertising—Call for bids—Exceptions.

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See RCW 35.23.352.

RCW 35.27.370 Specific powers enumerated.

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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, …

RCW 35.27.372 City and town license fees and taxes on financial institutions.

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See chapter 82.14A RCW.

RCW 35.27.373 City license fees or taxes on certain business activities to be at a single uniform rate.

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See RCW 35.21.710.

RCW 35.27.375 Additional powers—Parking meter revenue for revenue bonds.

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See RCW 35.23.454.

RCW 35.27.376 Nonpolluting power generation by individual—Exemption from regulation—Authorization to contract with utility.

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See chapter 80.58 RCW.

RCW 35.27.377 Hydroelectric resources—Separate legal authority—Creation by irrigation districts and cities, towns, or public utility districts.

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See RCW 87.03.825 through 87.03.840.

RCW 35.27.380 Additional powers—Eminent domain.

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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…

RCW 35.27.385 Additional powers—Construction and operation of boat harbors, marinas, docks, etc.

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See RCW 35.23.455.

RCW 35.27.390 Employees' group insurance.

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See RCW 35.23.460.

RCW 35.27.400 Fire limits—Parks.

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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 91…

RCW 35.27.410 Nuisances.

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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…

RCW 35.27.500 Taxation—Street poll tax.

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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; 196…

RCW 35.27.510 Utilities—Transfer of part of net earnings to current expense fund.

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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 …

RCW 35.27.515 Criminal code repeals by town operating municipal court—Agreement covering costs of handling resulting criminal cases—Arbitration.

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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…

RCW 35.27.550 Off-street parking space and facilities—Authorized—Declared public use.

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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…

RCW 35.27.560 Off-street parking space and facilities—Financing.

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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…

RCW 35.27.570 Off-street parking space and facilities—Acquisition and disposition of real property.

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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…