Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1963 NO. 58 >

An association of fire commissioners provided for by RCW 52.08.030 (5) does not have the authority to incorporate as a nonprofit corporation.

AGLO 1974 NO. 60 >

A port district may provide, and pay the premiums on, business related travel, liability, health, errors and omissions and accident insurance under RCW 53.08.170, as amended by § 1, chapter 6, Laws of 1973, 1st Ex. Sess., for its present port commissioners during the remainder of their current terms of office for the purpose of affording insurance coverage to those commissioners in the event of accidents or illnesses resulting from the performance of their official responsibilities.

AGLO 1973 NO. 71 >

Under Article IV, § 23 of the Washington Constitution there may be appointed one or more court commissioners, not exceeding three in number, for each county.

AGO 1963 NO. 73 >

The provisions of RCW 85.05.270 requiring drainage district commissioners on or before the first Monday in October to make and certify to the county auditor an estimate of the cost of maintenance and repair of the improvement for the ensuing year are directory rather than mandatory, and are intended only to secure orderly dispatch in the assessment procedures; therefore an assessment is valid if the requirements of law are satisfied and orderly procedures are followed.

AGO 1963 NO. 76 >

County commissioners in a county of the second class may not under existing statutes allocate a portion of their salaries from the county road fund or from tax mills earmarked for county roads.

AGLO 1973 NO. 87 >

A board of county commissioners is not divested of its authority to adopt amendments to its justice court districting plan by virtue of its failure to have done so within the time period specified in RCW 3.38.040.

AGLO 1973 NO. 88 >

Superior court commissioners have the authority under Article IV, § 23 of the Washington state Constitution to (1) direct the issuance of a warrant when an information is filed in a criminal proceeding and (2) set bail; they may not, however, hold an arraignment.

AGO 1964 NO. 93 >

The board of county commissioners of each of the counties in the state has the authority under state law to fix the days and hours that county offices shall be open; therefore the commissioners may establish by ordinance or resolution that county offices will be closed on any Friday or Monday when a county legal holiday falls on a weekend.  However, the clerk's office and sheriff's office must remain open on all judicial days.

AGO 1962 NO. 96 >

(1) Where there are two vacancies on the board of commissioners of a second class public utility district both vacancies are to be filled by special election held not more than forty days after such vacancies occur. (2) The commissioners elected at a special election to fill vacancies created on the board of commissioners of a second class public utility district are elected to hold office for the unexpired term of the commissioners whom they replace. (3) The election to fill vacancies on the board of commissioners of a second class public utility district must be held forty days after the occurrence of the vacancies pursuant to RCW 54.12.010.  The county auditor, who is charged by law with the power and duty of conducting public utility district elections (in other than class AA or class A counties), is authorized to prescribe a reasonable time within the forty-day period in which petitions for nominations may be filed.

AGO 1960 NO. 111 >

Names of candidates for the office of port commissioner in Class AA and Class A counties are to be arranged in the order in which their declarations for candidacy are filed.