Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1989 NO. 10 >

1.The 1985 amendments to chapter 2.42 RCW, codified as RCW 2.42.110 through .180 [2.42.180], relate only to interpreter services for the hearing impaired.2.The pre‑1985 portions of chapter 2.42 RCW, codified as RCW 2.42.010 through 2.42.050, apply only to interpreter services for persons with speech defects or non-English speaking cultural backgrounds, except that RCW 2.42.050 applies also to interpreter services for the hearing impaired.3.With respect to criminal proceedings, the government whose officer is responsible for initiating the proceeding, usually the county, is responsible for the cost of providing the interpreter as defined in RCW 2.42.040.

AGO 1953 NO. 10 >

County commissioners have no authority to impose additional license requirements upon "peddlers."  They may, however, impose reasonable conditions upon the issuance of auctioneers' licenses.

AGLO 1975 NO. 10 >

Although a city which has established a department of a district justice court under chapter 3.46 RCW is required by RCW 3.46.090 to pay all or a portion of the district judge's salary, such city is not required to pay any portion of the county's terminal leave benefits to the judge upon his retirement.

AGO 2010 NO. 10 >

RCW 36.29.020 allows a county treasurer to allocate the interest and investment returns earned on the investment of a county’s own funds into the county current expense fund, except for county funds as to which the legislature has specifically provided that interest and investment returns are to be dedicated to a specific purpose, or be retained in their original fund.

AGO 1987 NO. 11 >

A bill permitting the voters of noncharter counties with populations of 210,000 or more to increase the number of county commissioners from three to five is more likely than not unconstitutional.

AGO 1970 NO. 11 >

A county has the authority to enact a zoning ordinance to govern "fee patent land" located within the exterior boundaries of an Indian reservation in the state of Washington.

AGO 1968 NO. 11 >

Under the provisions of RCW 2.24.010, as amended by chapter 87, Laws of 1967, Ex. Sess., the superior court judge or judges of a multicounty judicial district may, in his or their discretion, continue to appoint a court commissioner for each county situated within the judicial district or, in the alternative, appoint a single court commissioner to serve the entire judicial district.

AGO 1990 NO. 11 >

RCW 17.10.240(1) authorizes the county legislative authority to levy a special assessment against land for the purpose of operating the county's weed program. This assessment may be levied on land located in incorporated areas within the county.

AGO 1998 NO. 11 >

The county coroner or equivalent officer has discretion to decide whether to issue a certificate of presumptive death as to a person whose body has not been found but who may be presumed to have drowned in the waters of the county or in contiguous waters as a result of an accident or natural disaster; the officer's decision must take into account where the person was last seen and where the events occurred which probably caused the person's death, in addition to such other factors as may be relevant.

AGO 1984 NO. 11 >

(1) The State Corrections Standards Board is not required by chapter 120, Laws of 1983, the Minority and Women's Business Enterprises Act, to fix goals which would, in turn, necessitate that specified portions of the funds which are awarded by it to local governments be set aside for minority or women-owned businesses.(2) Chapter 120, Laws of 1983, the Minority and Women's Business Enterprises Act, applies only to public works projects undertaken by the State (or an agency thereof) itself and, therefore, does not impose any additional duties or responsibilities on local jurisdictions with respect to jail construction and renovation funded through the State Corrections Standards Board.