Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGLO 1976 NO. 21 >

Under RCW 9.46.113 law enforcement activities related to the enforcement of state gambling laws must be regarded as having the "first call" on municipal gambling tax revenues authorized by RCW 9.46.110.

AGO 1975 NO. 21 >

(1) Within the unincorporated areas of a county which are served by a fire protection district, the uniform fire code, as adopted pursuant to chapter 19.27 RCW, requires the fire chief and the department of that district to perform each of the administrative and enforcement functions listed in § 1.201 thereof, together with such other functions as are required, under the heading of "Administration" in Division II of the code, to be performed by the "Fire Chief" or "Fire Department."  (2) A county, however, in the exercise of its authority under RCW 19.27.040 to amend the various component parts of the state building code in certain respects, may alter the manner in which the uniform fire code is administered within any or all of its unincorporated areas through the adoption of an amendment to that code designating some other official as the "Fire Chief" for the purpose of administering and enforcing its provisions.

AGO 1959 NO. 22 >

In budgets adopted by cities of less than 300,000 population, transfers may not be made between items even where the items are within the same classification of the same fund, where they are in separate appropriations made for different departments of the city.

AGO 1991 NO. 22 >

1.  Charter cities, charter counties, noncharter first class cities and noncharter code cities have the authority to impose a limit on the number of terms a locally elected official can serve.   2.  Depending upon the provisions of their charter, charter cities and charter counties can adopt a term limitation as a charter provision by ordinance or through the initiative process.  Noncharter first class cities and noncharter code cities can only adopt a term limitation through the passage of an ordinance.

AGO 1992 NO. 22 >

In a charter city or charter code city the qualified voters may petition, asking for the adoption of a charter amendment.  If the petition meets the requirements of the statute, it will be placed on the ballot at the next general election.  It is not necessary under state law for a city council to pass a resolution directing the county auditor to place on the ballot a city charter amendment proposed by the people.

AGO 1975 NO. 22 >

Pursuant to RCW 41.06.250(2) a municipal employee who is covered thereby may, even though governed by a local ordinance, charter provision, resolution or regulation purporting to provide to the contrary:  (1) Express his opinion openly and publicly on all political subjects, or on all candidates for either partisan or nonpartisan elective offices;  (2) Display political signs on his own property advocating the election of a candidate or candidates seeking either a partisan or nonpartisan office;  (3) Assemble or prepare political signs for candidates in support of their candidacies for partisan but not for nonpartisan offices;  (4) Install or affix such political signs for partisan but not for nonpartisan candidates in or on locations other than his own property with the permission of the owner of the property in question;  (5) Distribute campaign material, such as printed leaflets, brochures, etc., prepared by or for partisan but not for nonpartisan candidates, on a door-to-door basis.

AGO 1968 NO. 23 >

The phrase "one and one half percent of the taxable property," as used in § 1, chapter 92, Laws of 1963 (RCW 39.30.010), authorizing executory conditional sales contracts for the purchase of property by certain municipalities including cities and towns, refers to the actual value of the taxable property located within the contracting municipality rather than to the assessed valuation of such taxable property.

AGO 1983 NO. 24 >

Identification and application of criteria to be used in determining the eligibility of a community for state funds appropriated by § 51, chapter 76, Laws of 1983, 1st Ex. Sess. for the one‑time cost impact to communities associated with locating additional state correctional facilities.

AGO 1965 NO. 24 >

(1) Prior assessments of a local improvement district of a city of the third class take priority over subsequent assessments of an irrigation and rehabilitation district.(2) Foreclosure for delinquent assessments by an irrigation and rehabilitation district does not extinguish the lien of prior assessments of a local improvement district of the third class which are still outstanding but not delinquent.

AGLO 1976 NO. 24 >

A discussion of the extent to which the provisions of RCW 42.17.310(1)(d) and (e) prohibit public access to police records.