Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1991 NO. 17 >

Charter counties, charter cities, code cities and municipal corporations, in the exercise of proprietary functions, have broad legislative power that empowers them to self-fund their employee health and welfare benefits.  Other municipal corporations have only the powers expressly granted by the Legislature or necessarily or fairly implied in or incident to the powers expressly granted.  These municipal corporations do not have the authority to self-fund their employees' health and welfare benefits.