Title 35A — Title 35A OPTIONAL MUNICIPAL CODE

See RCW 35.34.010.

This chapter applies to all code cities which have by ordinance adopted this chapter authorizing the adoption of a fiscal biennium budget.[ 1985 c 175 s 34.]

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Clerk" includes the officer performing the functions of a finance or budget director, comptroller, auditor, or by whatever title the officer may be known in any code…

All code cities are authorized to establish by ordinance a two-year fiscal biennium budget. The ordinance shall be enacted at least six months prior to commencement of the fiscal biennium and this chapter applies to all code cities which utilize a fiscal biennium budget. Code cit…

On or before the second Monday of the fourth month prior to the beginning of the city's next fiscal biennium, or at such other time as the city may provide by ordinance or charter, the clerk shall notify in writing the head of each department of a city to file with the clerk with…

All estimates of receipts and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal biennium shall be fully detailed in the biennial budget and shall be classified and segregated according to a standard classification of accounts to be adopted and prescribed by the state auditor after consultation…

On or before the first business day in the third month prior to the beginning of the biennium of a city or at such other time as the city may provide by ordinance or charter, the clerk or other person designated by the charter, by ordinances, or by the chief administrative office…

The chief administrative officer shall prepare the preliminary budget in detail, making any revisions or additions to the reports of the department heads deemed advisable by such chief administrative officer. At least sixty days before the beginning of the city's next fiscal bien…

(1) In every city, a budget message prepared by or under the direction of the city's chief administrative officer shall be submitted as a part of the preliminary budget to the city's legislative body at least sixty days before the beginning of the city's next fiscal biennium and …

Immediately following the filing of the preliminary budget with the clerk, the clerk shall publish a notice once a week for two consecutive weeks stating that the preliminary budget for the ensuing fiscal biennium has been filed with the clerk, that a copy thereof will be made av…

The legislative body shall meet on the day fixed by RCW 35A.34.100 for the purpose of fixing the final budget of the city at the time and place designated in the notice thereof. Any taxpayer may appear and be heard for or against any part of the budget. The hearing may be continu…

Following conclusion of the hearing, and prior to the beginning of the fiscal biennium, the legislative body shall make such adjustments and changes as it deems necessary or proper and, after determining the allowance in each item, department, classification, and fund, shall by o…

The legislative authority of a city having adopted the provisions of this chapter shall provide by ordinance for a mid-biennial review and modification of the biennial budget. The ordinance shall provide that such review and modification shall occur no sooner than eight months af…

Upon the happening of any emergency caused by violence of nature, casualty, riot, insurrection, war, or other unanticipated occurrence requiring the immediate preservation of order or public health, or for the property which has been damaged or destroyed by accident, or for publi…

If a public emergency which could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of filing the preliminary budget requires the expenditure of money not provided for in the budget, and if it is not one of the emergencies specifically enumerated in RCW 35A.34.140, the city legislati…

All expenditures for emergency purposes as provided in this chapter shall be paid by warrants from any available money in the fund properly chargeable with such expenditures. If, at any time, there is insufficient money on hand in a fund with which to pay such warrants as present…

In adopting the final budget for any fiscal biennium, the legislative body shall appropriate from estimated revenue sources available, a sufficient amount to pay the principal and interest on all outstanding registered warrants issued since the adoption of the last preceding budg…

Notwithstanding the appropriations for any salary or salary range of any employee or employees adopted in a final budget, the legislative body of any city may, by ordinance, change the wages, hours, and conditions of employment of any or all of its appointive employees if suffici…

The state auditor is empowered to make and install the forms and classifications required by this chapter to define what expenditures are chargeable to each budget class and to establish the accounting and cost systems necessary to secure accurate budget information.[ 1995 c 301 …

(1) The expenditures as classified and itemized in the final budget shall constitute the city's appropriations for the ensuing fiscal biennium. Unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, and subject to further limitations imposed by ordinance of the city, the …

Whenever any code city apportions a percentage of the city manager's, administrator's, or supervisor's time, or the time of other management or general government staff, for administration, oversight, or supervision of a utility operated by the city, or to provide services to the…

Liabilities incurred by any officer or employee of the city in excess of any budget appropriations shall not be a liability of the city. The clerk shall issue no warrant and the city legislative body or other authorized person shall approve no claim for an expenditure in excess o…

Moneys received from the sale of bonds or warrants must be used for no other purpose than that for which they were issued. If any unexpended fund balance remains from the proceeds realized from the bonds or warrants after the accomplishment of the purpose for which they were issu…

At a time fixed by the city's ordinance or city charter, not later than the first Monday in October of the second year of each fiscal biennium, the chief administrative officer shall provide the city's legislative body with current information on estimates of revenues from all so…

At such intervals as may be required by city charter or city ordinance, however, being not less than quarterly, the clerk shall submit to the city's legislative body and chief administrative officer a report showing the expenditures and liabilities against each separate budget ap…

Every city may create and maintain a contingency fund to provide moneys with which to meet any municipal expense, the necessity or extent of which could not have been foreseen or reasonably evaluated at the time of adopting the annual budget, or from which to provide moneys for t…

No money shall be withdrawn from the contingency fund except by transfer to the appropriate operating fund authorized by a resolution or ordinance of the legislative body of the city, adopted by a majority vote of the entire legislative body, clearly stating the facts constitutin…

All appropriations in any current operating fund shall lapse at the end of each fiscal biennium. However, this shall not prevent payments in the following biennium upon uncompleted programs or improvements in progress or on orders subsequently filled or claims subsequently billed…

Upon the conviction of any city official, department head, or other city employee of knowingly failing, or refusing, without just cause, to perform any duty imposed upon such officer or employee by this chapter, or city charter or city ordinance, in connection with the giving of …