Title 68 — Title 68 CEMETERIES, MORGUES, AND HUMAN REMAINS

The county legislative authority of each county may at its discretion provide and equip a public morgue together with suitable morgue wagon for the conveyance, receipt and proper disposition of the bodies of all deceased persons not claimed by relatives, and of all dead bodies wh…

Such morgue shall be under the control and management of the coroner who shall have power with the advice and consent of the county commissioners, to employ the necessary deputies and employees; and, with the advice and consent of the county commissioners, to fix their salaries a…

Each and every county, town or city, shall have power to provide a hearse and pall for burial of the dead, and to procure and hold lands for burying grounds, and to make regulations and fence the same, and to preserve the monuments erected therein, and to levy and collect the nec…

Any city or town may acquire, hold, or improve land for cemetery purposes, and may sell lots therein, and may provide by ordinance that a specified percentage of the proceeds therefrom be set aside and invested, and the income from the investment be used in the care of the lots, …

The legislative body of any city or town may provide by ordinance for a cemetery board to be appointed by the mayor in cities and towns operating under the mayor-council form of government, by the city commission in cities operating under the commission form of government, and by…

All moneys received in the manner above provided shall be deposited with the city treasurer, and shall be kept apart in a fund known as the cemetery improvement fund, and shall be paid out only upon warrants drawn by the order of the cemetery board, if such a board exists, or by …

It shall be the duty of the cemetery board and other body or commission having in charge the care and operation of cemeteries to invest all sums set aside from the sale of lots, and all sums of money received, and to care for the income of all money and property held in trust for…

All investments shall be approved by the council or legislative body of the city.[ 1909 c 156 s 3; RRS s 3775. Formerly RCW 68.12.060, part, and 68.12.065.]

The said city shall, by ordinance, make all necessary rules and regulations concerning the control and management of said fund to properly safeguard the same, but shall in nowise be liable for any of said funds except a misappropriation thereof, and shall not have power to bind t…

Accurate books of account shall be kept of all transactions pertaining to said fund, which books shall be open to the public for inspection and shall be audited by the auditing committee of said city.[ 1909 c 156 s 5; RRS s 3777. Formerly RCW 68.12.080.]

Cemetery districts may be established in all counties and on any island in any county, as in this chapter provided.[ 1971 c 19 s 1; 1957 c 99 s 1; 1953 c 41 s 1; 1947 c 27 s 1; 1947 c 6 s 1; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 3778-150. Formerly RCW 68.16.010.]

(1) To form a cemetery district, a petition designating the boundaries of the proposed district by metes and bounds or describing the lands to be included in the proposed district by government townships, ranges, and legal subdivisions, setting forth the object of the formation o…

The county legislative authority must conduct a hearing on the petition not less than twenty nor more than forty days from the date of receipt of the petition from the county auditor. The hearing may be completed on the day set for hearing the petition or it may be adjourned from…

The text of the petition with the names of petitioners omitted and a notice signed by the clerk of the county legislative authority stating the day, hour, and place of the hearing must be published in three consecutive weekly issues of the official newspaper of the county prior t…

At the time and place fixed for the hearing on the petition or at any adjournment thereof, the county legislative authority must hear the petition and receive such evidence as it may deem material in favor of or opposed to the formation of the proposed cemetery district or to the…

(1) After conducting the hearing on the petition, if the county legislative authority determines that the formation of the proposed cemetery district will be conducive to the public welfare and convenience, the county legislative authority must by resolution so declare, otherwise…

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the election must insofar as possible be called, noticed, held, conducted, and canvassed in the same manner and by the same officials as provided by law for special elections in the county. The notice of election must: State generally…

Cemetery district elections shall conform with general election laws, except that there shall be no primary to nominate candidates. All persons filing and qualifying shall appear on the general election ballot and the person receiving the largest number of votes for each position…

The ballot for the election shall be in such form as may be convenient but shall present the propositions substantially as follows:". . .(insert county name). . . cemetery district No. . . .(insert number). . .. . .Yes. . . . . .(insert county name). . . cemetery district No. . .…

(1) The returns of the election must be canvassed following the election, but the canvass may be adjourned from time to time to await the receipt of election returns. Upon conclusion of the canvass, the canvassing officials must certify the results to the county legislative autho…

(1) Any person, firm, or corporation having a substantial interest involved, and feeling aggrieved by any finding, determination, or resolution of the county legislative authority under the provisions of this chapter, may appeal within five days after the finding, determination, …

A county legislative authority may, by ordinance or resolution, provide for a ballot proposition to form a cemetery district. When proposed by ordinance or resolution of the county legislative authority, a ballot proposition shall designate the boundaries of the proposed district…

Cemetery districts created under this chapter shall be deemed to be municipal corporations within the purview of the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington. They shall constitute bodies corporate and possess all the usual powers of corporations for public purposes. They…

A cemetery district may jointly operate or provide, cooperate to operate and provide and/or contract for a term of not to exceed five years to provide or have provided public cemetery facilities or services, with any other public or private agency, including out of state public a…

As used in RCW 68.52.192, "public agency" means counties, cities and towns, special districts, or quasi municipal corporations.[ 1987 c 331 s 73; 1963 c 112 s 2. Formerly RCW 68.16.113.]

In addition to other authority that a cemetery district possesses, a cemetery district may provide any public improvement as defined under RCW 39.89.020, but this additional authority is limited to participating in the financing of the public improvements as provided under RCW 39…

The taking and damaging of property or rights therein by any cemetery district to carry out the purposes of its creation, are hereby declared to be for a public use, and any such district shall have and exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire any property or rights therei…

(1) A cemetery district organized under this chapter shall have power to acquire, establish, maintain, manage, improve and operate cemeteries and conduct any and all of the businesses of a cemetery as defined in this title. A cemetery district shall constitute a cemetery authorit…

(1) The affairs of the cemetery district must be managed by a board of cemetery district commissioners composed of three members. The board may provide, by resolution passed by the commissioners, for the payment of compensation to each of its commissioners at a rate of up to nine…

Special elections submitting propositions to the registered voters of the district may be called at any time by resolution of the cemetery commissioners in accordance with RCW 29A.04.321 and 29A.04.330, and shall be called, noticed, held, conducted and canvassed in the same manne…

Each cemetery commissioner, before assuming the duties of his or her office, shall take and subscribe an official oath to faithfully discharge the duties of his or her office, which oath shall be filed in the office of the county auditor.[ 2012 c 117 s 320; 1986 c 167 s 24; 1947 …

The board of cemetery district commissioners shall organize and elect a chair from its number and shall appoint a secretary for such term as the board may determine. The secretary shall keep a record of proceedings of the board and perform such other duties as may be prescribed b…

It shall be the duty of the county treasurer of the county in which any cemetery district is situated to receive and disburse all district revenues and collect all taxes authorized and levied under this chapter. There is hereby created in the office of county treasurer of each co…

Annually, after the county board of equalization has equalized assessments for general tax purposes, the secretary of the district shall prepare a budget of the requirements of the cemetery district fund, certify the same and deliver it to the board of county commissioners in amp…

The county treasurer shall disburse the cemetery district fund upon warrants issued by the county auditor on vouchers approved and signed by a majority of the board of cemetery commissioners and the secretary thereof.[ 1947 c 6 s 22; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 3778-171. Formerly RCW 68.16…

The board of cemetery commissioners shall have no authority to contract indebtedness in any year in excess of the aggregate amount of the currently levied taxes, which annual tax levy for cemetery district purposes shall not exceed eleven and one-quarter cents per thousand dollar…

Cemetery districts may be dissolved by a majority vote of the electors at an election called for that purpose, which shall be conducted in the same manner as provided for special elections, and no further district obligations shall thereafter be incurred, but such dissolution sha…

See chapter 57.90 RCW.

See RCW 68.05.900.