Title 35 — Title 35 CITIES AND TOWNS

The petition for disincorporation must be signed by a majority of the registered voters thereof and filed with the city or town council.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.07.020. Prior: 1897 c 69 s 2, part; RRS s 8915, part.]

The council shall cause an election to be called upon the proposition of disincorporation. If the city or town has any indebtedness or outstanding liabilities, it shall order the election of a receiver at the same time.[ 1997 c 361 s 4; 1965 c 7 s 35.07.040. Prior: 1897 c 69 s 2,…

Notice of such election shall be given.[ 2015 c 53 s 21; 1965 c 7 s 35.07.050. Prior: 1897 c 69 s 3; RRS s 8916.]

The ballots for the election shall be printed at the expense of the municipality and there shall be printed thereon the words "for dissolution" in one line and the words "against dissolution" in another line and in other and separate lines, the names of each of the lawfully nomin…

The election shall be conducted as other elections are required by law to be conducted in the city or town except as in this chapter otherwise provided.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.07.070. Prior: 1897 c 69 s 5; RRS s 8918.]Notes:Conduct of elections—Canvass: RCW 29A.60.010.

The result of the election, together with the ballots cast, shall be certified by the canvassing authority to the council which shall meet within one week thereafter and shall declare the result which shall be made a matter of record in the journal of the council proceedings. If …

Upon disincorporation of a city or town, its powers and privileges as such, are surrendered to the state and it is absolved from any further duty to the state or its own inhabitants and all the offices appertaining thereto shall cease to exist immediately upon the entry of the re…

Disincorporation shall not impair the obligation of any contract. If any franchise lawfully granted has not expired at the time of disincorporation, the disincorporation does not impair any right thereunder and does not imply any authority to interfere therewith to any greater ex…

Upon disincorporation of a city or town, its streets and highways pass to the control of the state and shall remain public highways until closed in pursuance of law; and the territory embraced therein shall be made into a new road district or annexed to adjoining districts as may…

The receiver must qualify within ten days after he or she has been declared elected, by filing with the county auditor a bond equal in penalty to the audited indebtedness and the established liabilities of the city or town with sureties approved by the board of county commissione…

If the person elected receiver fails to qualify as such within the prescribed time, the council shall file in the superior court of the county a petition setting forth the fact of the election, its result and the failure of the person elected receiver to qualify within the prescr…

If no receiver is elected upon the supposition that no indebtedness existed and it transpires that the municipality does have indebtedness or an outstanding liability, any interested person may file a petition in the superior court asking for the appointment of a receiver, and un…

The receiver, upon qualifying, shall take possession of all the property, money, vouchers, records and books of the former municipality including those in any manner pertaining to its business and proceed to wind up its affairs. He or she shall have authority to pay:(1) All outst…

The receiver shall have the right to sue and be sued in all cases necessary or proper for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the former city or town and shall be subject to suit in all cases wherein the city or town might have been sued, subject to the limitations provided …

The receiver shall be authorized to sell at public auction after such public notice as the sheriff is required to give of like property sold on execution, all the property of the former municipality except such as is necessary for his or her use in winding up its affairs, and exc…

In the same manner and to the same extent as the proper authorities of the former city or town could have done had it not been disincorporated, the receiver shall be authorized to levy taxes on all taxable property, to receive the taxes when collected and to apply them together w…

The receiver shall be entitled to deduct from any funds coming into his or her hands a commission of six percent on the first thousand dollars, five percent on the second thousand and four percent on any amount over two thousand dollars as his or her full compensation exclusive o…

The receiver shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the corporation with diligence and for negligence or misconduct in the discharge of his or her duties may be removed by the superior court upon a proper showing made by a taxpayer of the former city or town or by an unsatisfied…

In the case of removal, death, or resignation of a receiver, the court may appoint a new receiver to take charge of the affairs of the former city or town.[ 1965 c 7 s 35.07.210. Prior: 1897 c 69 s 13, part; RRS s 8926, part.]

Upon the final payment of all lawful demands against the former city or town, the receiver shall file a final account, together with all vouchers, with the clerk of the superior court. Any funds remaining in his or her hands shall be paid to the county treasurer for the use of th…

The provisions of Title 7 RCW generally applicable to receivers and receiverships do not apply to receivers elected or appointed under this chapter.[ 2004 c 165 s 43.]Notes:Purpose—Captions not law—2004 c 165: See notes following RCW 7.60.005.

If any town fails for two successive years to hold its regular municipal election, or if the officers elected at the regular election of any town fail for two successive years to qualify and the government of the town ceases to function by reason thereof, the state auditor may pe…

Upon the filing of a petition for the involuntary dissolution of a town, the superior court shall enter an order fixing the time for hearing thereon at a date not less than thirty days from date of filing. The state auditor shall give notice of the hearing by publication in a new…

Any person owning property in or qualified to vote in the town may appear at the hearing and file written objections to the granting of the petition. If the court finds that the town has failed for two successive years to hold its regular municipal election or that its officers e…

(1) If the court finds that the town has no indebtedness and no assets, the order of dissolution shall be effective forthwith.(2) If the court finds that the town has assets, but no indebtedness or liabilities, it shall order a sale of the assets other than cash by the sheriff in…

Actions taken under chapter 35.10 RCW may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 27.]

The purpose of this chapter is to establish clear and uniform provisions of law governing the consolidation of all types and classes of cities.[ 1985 c 281 s 1.]

As used in this chapter, the term "city" means any city or town.[ 1985 c 281 s 2.]

The following methods are available for the annexation of all or a part of a city or town to another city or town:(1) A petition for an election to vote upon the annexation, which proposed annexation is approved by the legislative body of the city or town from which the territory…

In all cases of annexation, the county canvassing board or boards shall canvass the votes cast thereat.In an election on the question of the annexation of all or a part of a city to another city, the votes cast in the city or portion thereof to be annexed shall be canvassed, and …

Immediately after the filing of the statement of an annexation election, the legislative body of the annexing city may, if it deems it wise or expedient, adopt an ordinance providing for the annexation. Upon the date fixed in the ordinance of annexation, the area annexed shall be…

Upon the consolidation of two or more cities, or the annexation of any city to another city, as provided in this chapter, the title to all property and assets owned by, or held in trust for, such former city shall vest in such consolidated city, or annexing city, as the case may …

Such consolidation, or annexation, shall in no wise affect or impair the validity of claim or chose in action existing in favor of or against, any such former city so consolidated or annexed, or any proceeding pending in relation thereto, but such consolidated or annexing city sh…

Upon the consolidation of two or more cities, or the annexation of any city after March 1st and prior to the date of adopting the final budget and levying the property tax dollar rate in that year for the next calendar year, the legislative body of the consolidated city or the an…

Upon the consolidation of two or more cities, or the annexation of any city, the consolidated or annexing city shall receive all state funds to which the component cities would have been entitled to receive during the year when such consolidation or annexation became effective.[ …

All ordinances in force within any such former city or cities, at the time of consolidation or annexation, not in conflict with the laws governing the consolidated city, or with the ordinances of the former city having the largest population, as shown by the last determination of…

Unless indebtedness approved by the voters, contracted, or incurred prior to the date of consolidation or annexation as provided herein has been assumed by the voters in the other city or cities in which such indebtedness did not originate, such indebtedness continues to be the o…

See RCW 35.13.280.

(1) If any portion of a fire protection district is proposed for annexation to or incorporation into a city, code city, or town, both the fire protection district and the city, code city, or town shall jointly inform the employees of the fire protection district about hires, sepa…

(1) An eligible employee may transfer into the civil service system of the annexing city, code city, or town by filing a written request with the city, code city, or town civil service commission. Upon receipt of the request by the civil service commission, the transfer of employ…

If, as a result of annexation of two or more cities, or code cities any employee is laid off who is eligible to transfer to the city, code city or town fire department under this section and RCW 35.10.360 and 35.10.365 the fire department shall notify the employee of the right to…

Two or more contiguous cities located in the same or different counties may consolidate into one city by proceedings in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. When cities are separated by water and/or tide or shore lands [tidelands or shorelands] they shall be deemed con…

The submission of a ballot proposal to the voters of two or more contiguous cities for the consolidation of these contiguous cities may be caused by the adoption of a joint resolution, by a majority vote of each city legislative body, seeking consolidation of such contiguous citi…

The submission of a ballot proposal to the voters of two or more contiguous cities for the consolidation of these contiguous cities may also be caused by the filing of a petition with the legislative body of each such city, signed by the voters of each city in number equal to not…

A joint resolution or petition shall prescribe the form or plan of government of the proposed consolidated city, or shall provide that a ballot proposition to determine the form or plan of government shall be submitted to the voters of the cities proposed to be consolidated. The …

A joint resolution or a petition may contain a proposal that a general obligation indebtedness of one or more of the cities proposed to be consolidated shall be assumed by the proposed consolidated city, in which event, the joint resolution or petition shall specify the improveme…

The county legislative authority, or the county legislative authorities jointly, shall set the date, time, and place for one or more public meetings on the proposed consolidation, and name a person or persons to chair the meetings. There shall be at least one public meeting in ea…

If a proposal for assumption of indebtedness is to be submitted to the voters of a city in which the indebtedness did not originate, the proposal shall be separately stated and the ballots shall contain, as a separate proposition to be voted on, the words "For Assumption of Indeb…

The county canvassing board in each county involved shall canvass the returns in each election. The votes cast in each of such cities shall be canvassed separately, and the statement shall show the whole number of votes cast, the number of votes cast in each city for consolidatio…

If the voters of each of the cities proposed to consolidate approve the consolidation, elections to nominate and elect the elected officials of the consolidated city shall be held at times specified in RCW 35A.02.050. If the joint resolution or the petitions prescribe that counci…