Other LanguagesA Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) may contract with a city, town, or county whose jurisdiction includes territory served by the PTBA for the use of PTBA funds to pay for, or contribute toward the cost of , construction projects in public rights of way which will provide a tangible and accountable benefit for improving, enhancing or extending or extending the PTBA's public transportation services.
(1) Neither the state public disclosure law (chapter 42.17 RCW) nor any other statute prohibits or restricts a municipal corporation or political subdivision from employing a lobbyist to be registered as such in accordance with RCW 42.17.150; however, such a person may only be employed pursuant to specific legal authority to expend municipal funds for lobbying purposes ‑ either in the form of a state statute or, in the case of a first class or other charter city, code city or charter county, appropriate local legislation. (2) Only a municipal corporation or political subdivision which is thus authorized to expend its funds for lobbying purposes may, in turn, authorize its officers or employees to appear and testify at municipal expense before a committee of the legislature in support of or opposition to proposed or pending legislation. (3) Nothing in the state public disclosure law (chapter 42.17 RCW) purports to restrict the ability of any committee or member of the state legislature to seek information or opinions from officers or employees of a municipal corporation or political subdivision.
1. A municipality that imposes a tax on its electric utility department pursuant to RCW 35.21.860 and [35.21].865 may measure the tax by the utility department's gross revenues, derived from the utility's customers located both inside and outside the city, so long as the tax is within constitutional limits. 2. A municipality may not levy a tax on another municipality without express authority. RCW 35.21.860 and [35.21].865 do not authorize one municipality to levy a tax on the electric utility department of another municipality.
Impact upon residents of incorporated cities and towns, and upon the governing bodies thereof, of a decision by the county within which they are located to impose a local sales and use tax under RCW 82.14.030.
1. The county sheriff's duty to enforce state law applies equally in incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county. 2. If a city is unable to provide for adequate police protection, the county sheriff must take this factor into account in allocating the resources of the sheriff's office. However, the statutes do not obligate the sheriff to provide a city with a specific number of police officers or a specific level of police services. 3. If a city wants to obtain a specific number of county police officers or level of police services, the Interlocal Cooperation Act empowers the city to contract with the county to provide those services.
Although the city council of a charter city does not, under present law, have the authority to prepare and submit a revised city charter, previously prepared by a board of freeholders but initially rejected by the voters, for the further consideration of those voters, the legislature could, constitutionally, authorize such a city council to take that action; also, consideration of several related questions.
(1) A code city is not required to call for competitive bids when contracting for the purchase of supplies, materials and equipment which are not being procured in connection with a public work or improvement project. (2) A code city is required to call for competitive bids when contracting for the purchase of equipment which is being procured in connection with a public work or improvement having an estimated cost in excess of five thousand dollars. (3) The provisions of chapter 56, Laws of 1975, 1st Ex. Sess., (now codified as RCW 35.22.620 ‑ 35.22.650) do not apply so as to permit a code city, when contracting for a public work or improvement, to refrain from calling for competitive bids if the estimated cost of such work or improvement, including the cost of materials, supplies and equipment, although in excess of five thousand dollars, does not exceed ten thousand dollars (or fifteen thousand dollars if the public work or improvement is for the construction of water mains).
Section 9 (4), chapter 241, Laws of 1969, Ex. Sess., by which the legislature extended the state's pre emption of excise taxation with respect to insurers to include "or their agents," does not prohibit the imposition of excise or privilege taxes by cities or towns on the gross income of insurance brokers as defined in RCW 48.17.020 and insurance solicitors as defined in RCW 48.17.030.
1. For purposes of RCW 42.17.130, which generally prohibits the use of public resources on election campaigns but contains an exception for certain acts of “elected legislative bodies,” the term is limited to bodies composed entirely of persons elected by the people to serve on that body, and it does not include “mixed” bodies of partly elected and partly appointed members or bodies composed of officers serving “ex officio” by virtue of their election to some other position. 2. The term “legislative” for purposes of RCW 42.17.130 is restricted to governing bodies with the power to enact general laws within a defined geographic area, such as the legislative bodies of counties, cities, and towns, and it does not include the governing bodies of districts created for special purposes.
1. A municipality lacks authority to allocate lodging tax revenue to operate a tourism-related facility in which the municipality has no ownership interest. 2. A municipality may not spend lodging tax revenue on operating expenses of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists where such events and festivals are operated by non-governmental entities. 3. A municipality may not provide advance payment to private organizations for tourism promotion; payment must occur after the services have been performed.