Revised Code of Washington - RCW Title 36 Counties - Chapter 36.32 County Commissioners

36.32.005 "County commissioners" defined
The term "county commissioners" when used in this title or any other provision of law shall include the governmental authority empowered to so act under ...

36.32.010 Board of commissioners established -- Quorum
There is established in each county in this state a board of county commissioners. Except as provided in RCW 36.32.055 and 36.32.0552, each board of ...

36.32.020 Commissioner districts
The board of county commissioners of each county shall divide their county into three commissioner districts so that each district shall comprise as nearly as ...

36.32.030 Terms of commissioners
The terms of office of county commissioners shall be four years and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with ...

36.32.040 Nomination by districts
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the qualified electors of each county commissioner district, and they only, shall nominate from among ...

36.32.050 Elected by entire county
County commissioners shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county and the person receiving the highest number of votes for the office of ...

36.32.055 Five-member commission -- When authorized -- Ballot proposition -- Petition -- Procedures
(1) The board of commissioners of any noncharter county with a population of three hundred thousand or more may cause a ballot proposition to be ...

36.32.0552 Five-member commission -- Newly created positions -- How filled -- County divided into five districts
If the ballot proposition receives majority voter approval, the size of the board of county commissioners shall be increased to five members as provided in ...

36.32.0554 Five-member commission -- Newly created positions -- Terms of initially elected commissioners
The terms of the persons who are initially elected to positions four and five under RCW 36.32.0552 shall be as follows: (1) If the year ...

36.32.0556 Five-member commissions -- Four-year terms -- Nominations by districts -- Elected by entire county -- Quorum
The commissioners in a five-member board of county commissioners shall be elected to four-year staggered terms. Each commissioner shall reside in a separate commissioner district. ...

36.32.0558 Five-member commissions -- Vacancies
Vacancies on a board of county commissioners consisting of five members shall be filled as provided in RCW 36.32.070, except that: (1) Whenever there are ...

36.32.060 Conditions of official bond
The bond of each county commissioner shall be payable to the county, and it shall be conditioned that the commissioner shall well and faithfully discharge ...

36.32.070 Vacancies on board
Whenever there is a vacancy in the board of county commissioners, except as provided in RCW 36.32.0558, it shall be filled as follows: (1) If ...

36.32.080 Regular meetings
The county legislative authority of each county shall hold regular meetings at the county seat to transact any business required or permitted by law.[1989 c ...

36.32.090 Special meetings
The county legislative authority of each county may hold special meetings to transact the business of the county. Notice of a special meeting shall be ...

36.32.100 Chairman of board -- Election, powers
The board of county commissioners at their first session after the general election shall elect one of its number to preside at its meetings. He ...

36.32.110 Clerk of board
The county auditor shall be the clerk of the board of county commissioners unless the board of county commissioners designates one of its employees to ...

36.32.120 Powers of legislative authorities
The legislative authorities of the several counties shall: (1) Provide for the erection and repairing of court houses, jails, and other necessary public buildings for ...

36.32.121 Community revitalization financing -- Public improvements
In addition to other authority that a county possesses, a county may provide any public improvement as defined under RCW 39.89.020, but this additional authority ...

36.32.122 Authority to regulate massage practitioners -- Limitations
(1) A state licensed massage practitioner seeking a county license to operate a massage business must provide verification of his or her state massage license ...

36.32.125 Adoption of certain regulations proscribed
Nothing in this chapter shall permit the counties to adopt, by reference or by ordinance, regulations relating to the subject matter contained in chapters 19.28, ...

36.32.127 Driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs -- Minimum penalties
No county may establish a penalty for an act that constitutes the crime of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, ...

36.32.130 Postponement of action
When only two members are present at a meeting of the board, and a division takes place on any question, the matter under consideration shall ...

36.32.135 Official seal
The county commissioners of each county shall have and use a seal for the purpose of sealing their proceedings, and copies of the same when ...

36.32.140 Record of proceedings
The board of county commissioners shall cause to be recorded, in a book kept for that purpose, all their proceedings and determinations touching all matters ...

36.32.150 Transcribing mutilated records
The county commissioners shall, when any of the county records become so mutilated that their handling becomes dangerous to the safety of such records, and ...

36.32.155 Transcribing mutilated records -- Prior transcribing validated
All records transcribed by order of any board of county commissioners in this state prior to the effective date of chapter 14, Laws of 1893, ...

36.32.160 Transcribing mutilated records -- Auditor to direct transcribing, certify
The books containing the transcribed records shall be certified by the county auditor, under whose direction the transcribing was done, as being true copies of ...

36.32.170 Transcribing mutilated records -- Original records to be preserved
All the original record books, after the transcribing thereof, shall be filed away in the auditor's office and only be used in case of contest ...

36.32.200 Special attorneys, employment of
It shall be unlawful for a county legislative authority to employ or contract with any attorney or counsel to perform any duty which any prosecuting ...

36.32.210 Inventory of county capitalized assets -- County commission inventory statement -- Filing and public inspection -- Penalty -- Prosecutions -- Taxpayer's action
(1) Each board of county commissioners of the several counties of the state of Washington shall, on the first Monday of March of each year, ...

36.32.235 Competitive bids -- Purchasing department -- Counties with a population of one million or more -- Public works procedures -- Exceptions
(1) In each county with a population of one million or more which by resolution establishes a county purchasing department, the purchasing department shall enter ...

36.32.240 Competitive bids -- Purchasing department -- Counties with a population of less than one million
(1) In any county the county legislative authority may by resolution establish a county purchasing department. (2) In each county with a population of less ...

36.32.245 Competitive bids -- Requirements -- Advertisements -- Exceptions
(1) No contract for the purchase of materials, equipment, or supplies may be entered into by the county legislative authority or by any elected or ...

36.32.250 Competitive bids -- Contract procedure -- Contracts under ten thousand dollars -- Small works roster process
No contract for public works may be entered into by the county legislative authority or by any elected or appointed officer of the county until ...

36.32.253 Competitive bids -- Leases of personal property
No lease of personal property may be entered into by the county legislative authority or by any elected or appointed officer of the county except ...

36.32.256 Competitive bids -- Multiple awards for road maintenance materials
A county when calling for competitive bids for the procurement of road maintenance materials may award to multiple bidders for the same commodity when the ...

36.32.260 Competitive bids -- Purchasing agent
In any county having a purchasing department the board of county commissioners shall appoint a county purchasing agent, who shall be the head of such ...

36.32.265 Competitive bids -- Inapplicability to certain agreements relating to water pollution control, solid waste handling facilities
RCW 36.32.240, 36.32.250, and 36.32.260 do not apply to the selection of persons or entities to construct or develop water pollution control facilities or to ...

36.32.270 Competitive bids -- Exemptions
The county legislative authority may waive the competitive bidding requirements of this chapter pursuant to RCW 39.04.280 if an exemption contained within that section applies ...

36.32.280 Regulation of watercourses
The state in the exercise of its sovereign and police power authorizes any county alone or acting jointly with any other county to regulate and ...

36.32.290 Regulation of watercourses -- Removal of obstructions
When the board of county commissioners of any county deems it essential to the public interest for flood prevention purposes it may remove drifts, jams, ...

36.32.300 Regulation of watercourses -- Trees may be removed from river banks
When any forest trees are situated upon the bank of any watercourse or so close thereto as to be in danger of falling into it, ...

36.32.310 Compensation for extra services
Whenever a member of the board of county commissioners of any county has a claim for compensation for per diem and expenses for attendance upon ...

36.32.330 Appeals from board's action
Any person may appeal to the superior court from any decision or order of the board of county commissioners. Such appeal shall be taken within ...

36.32.335 Coordination of county administrative programs -- Legislative declaration
The public necessity for the coordination of county administrative programs, especially in the fields of highways and social security, be and is hereby recognized.[1963 c ...

36.32.340 Coordination of county administrative programs -- Duties incident to
The county commissioners shall take such action as is necessary to effect coordination of their administrative programs and prepare reports annually on the operations of ...

36.32.350 Coordination of county administrative programs -- Coordinating agency -- Agency reimbursement
County legislative authorities may designate the Washington state association of counties as a coordinating agency in the execution of duties imposed by RCW 36.32.335 through ...

36.32.360 Coordination of county administrative programs -- Attendance at conventions authorized
County commissioners are hereby authorized to take such other and further action as may be deemed necessary to the compliance with the intent of RCW ...

36.32.370 Land surveys
Except as otherwise provided in this title, the board of county commissioners, through a surveyor employed by it shall execute all surveys of land that ...

36.32.380 Land surveys -- Record of surveys
Except as otherwise provided in this title, the board of county commissioners shall cause to be recorded in a suitable book all surveys except such ...

36.32.390 Nonmonthly employees, vacations and sick leaves
Each employee of any county in this state who is employed on an hourly or per diem basis, who shall have worked fifteen hundred hours ...

36.32.400 Health care and group insurance
Subject to chapter 48.62 RCW, any county by a majority vote of its board of county commissioners may enter into contracts to provide health care ...

36.32.410 Participation in Economic Opportunity Act programs
The board of county commissioners of any county is hereby authorized and empowered in its discretion by resolution or ordinance passed by a majority of ...

36.32.415 Low-income housing -- Loans and grants
A county may assist in the development or preservation of publicly or privately owned housing for persons of low income by providing loans or grants ...

36.32.420 Youth agencies -- Establishment authorized
See RCW 35.21.630. ...

36.32.425 Juvenile curfews
(1) The legislative authority of any county has the authority to enact an ordinance, for the purpose of preserving the public safety or reducing acts ...

36.32.430 Parks, may designate name of
The board of county commissioners is authorized to designate the name of any park established by the county.[1965 ex.s. c 76 § 3.]Notes: Acquisition of ...

36.32.435 Historic preservation -- Authorization to acquire property, borrow money, issue bonds, etc
Any county may acquire title to or any interest in real and personal property for the purpose of historic preservation and may restore, improve, maintain, ...

36.32.440 Staff to aid in purchasing, poverty programs, parks, emergency services, budget, etc., authorized
The board of county commissioners of the several counties may employ such staff as deemed appropriate to serve the several boards directly in matters including ...

36.32.450 Tourist promotion
Any county in this state acting through its council or other legislative body shall have power to expend moneys and conduct promotion of resources and ...

36.32.460 Employee safety award programs
The board of county commissioners may establish an employee safety award program to reward and encourage the safe performance of assigned duties by county employees. ...

36.32.470 Fire protection, ambulance or other emergency services provided by municipal corporations within county -- Financial and other assistance authorized
The legislative authority of any county shall have the power to furnish, upon such terms as the board may deem proper, with or without consideration, ...

36.32.475 Regulation of automatic number or location identification -- Prohibited
No county may enact or enforce an ordinance or regulation mandating automatic number identification or automatic location identification for a private telecommunications system or for ...

36.32.480 Emergency medical service districts -- Creation authorized -- Composition of governing body
(1) A county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance creating an emergency medical service district in all or a portion of the unincorporated area of ...

36.32.490 County freeholders -- Method of filling vacancies
Vacancies in the position of county freeholder shall be filled with a person qualified for the position who is appointed by majority action of the ...

36.32.510 Right-of-way donations -- Credit against required improvements
Where the zoning and planning provisions of a county require landscaping, parking, or other improvements as a condition to granting permits for commercial or industrial ...

36.32.520 Child care facilities -- Review of need and demand -- Adoption of ordinances
If a county operating under home rule charter zones pursuant to its inherent charter authority and not pursuant to chapter 35.63 RCW, nor chapter 36.70 ...

36.32.525 Conditional and special use permit applications by parties licensed or certified by the department of social and health services or the department of corrections -- Mediation prior to appeal required
A final decision by a hearing examiner involving a conditional or special use permit application under a home-rule charter that is requested by a party ...

36.32.540 Settlement of Indian claims
(1) The settlement of Indian land and other claims against public and private property owners is declared to be in the interest of public health ...

36.32.550 Conformance with chapter 43.97 RCW required
With respect to the National Scenic Area, as defined in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, the exercise of any power ...

36.32.560 Home rule charter counties -- Residential care facilities -- Review of need and demand -- Adoption of ordinances
If a county operating under home rule charter zones pursuant to its inherent charter authority and not pursuant to chapter 35.63 RCW, nor chapter 36.70 ...

36.32.570 Conservation area acquisition and maintenance
The legislative authority of each county may acquire a fee simple interest, or lesser interest, in conservation areas in the county and may maintain the ...

36.32.580 Home rule charter counties subject to limitations on moratoria, interim zoning controls
A charter county that plans under the authority of its charter is subject to the provisions of RCW 36.70.795.[1992 c 207 § 5.] ...

36.32.590 Building construction projects -- County prohibited from requiring state agencies or local governments to provide bond or other security as a condition for issuance of permit
A county legislative authority may not require any state agency or unit of local government to secure the performance of a permit requirement with a ...

36.32.600 Amateur radio antennas -- Local regulation to conform with federal law
No county shall enact or enforce an ordinance or regulation that fails to conform to the limited preemption entitled "Amateur Radio Preemption, 101 FCC 2nd ...

36.32.610 Library capital facility areas authorized
A county legislative authority may establish a library capital facility area pursuant to chapter 27.15 RCW.[1995 c 368 § 8.]Notes: Findings -- 1995 c 368: ...

36.32.620 Abandoned or derelict vessels
A county has the authority, subject to the processes and limitation outlined in chapter 79.100 RCW, to store, strip, use, auction, sell, salvage, scrap, or ...