S-4237               _______________________________________________

 

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 4486

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Governmental Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Thompson and Zimmerman)

 

 

Read first time 1/27/86.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to local government; amending RCW 36.32.120; and prescribing penalties.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

        Sec. 1.  Section 36.32.120, chapter 4, Laws of 1963 as last amended by section 1, chapter 91, Laws of 1985 and RCW 36.32.120 are each amended to read as follows:

          The legislative authorities of the several counties shall:

          (1) Provide for the erection and repairing of court houses, jails, and other necessary public buildings for the use of the county;

          (2) Lay out, discontinue, or alter county roads and highways within their respective counties, and do all other necessary acts relating thereto according to law, except within cities and towns which have jurisdiction over the roads within their limits;

          (3) License and fix the rates of ferriage; grant grocery and other licenses authorized by law to be by them granted at fees set by the legislative authorities which shall not exceed the costs of administration and operation of such licensed activities;

          (4) Fix the amount of county taxes to be assessed according to the provisions of law, and cause the same to be collected as prescribed by law:  PROVIDED, That the  legislative authority of a county may permit all moneys, assessments, and taxes belonging to or collected for the use of any county, including any amounts representing estimates for future assessments and taxes, to be deposited by any taxpayer prior to the due date thereof with the treasurer or other legal depository for the benefit of the funds to which they belong to be credited against any future tax or assessment that may be levied or become due from the taxpayer:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the taxpayer, with the concurrence of the  county legislative authority, may designate the particular fund against which such prepayment of future tax or assessment shall be credited;

          (5) Allow all accounts legally chargeable against the county not otherwise provided for, and audit the accounts of all officers having the care, management, collection, or disbursement of any money belonging to the county or appropriated to its benefit;

          (6) Have the care of the county property and the management of the county funds and business and in the name of the county prosecute and defend all actions for and against the county, and such other powers as are or may be conferred by law;

          (7) Make and enforce, by appropriate resolutions or ordinances, all such police and sanitary regulations as are not in conflict with state law, and within the unincorporated area of the county may adopt by reference Washington state statutes and recognized codes and/or compilations printed in book form relating to the construction of buildings, the installation of plumbing, the installation of electric wiring, health, or other subjects, and may adopt such codes and/or compilations or portions thereof, together with amendments thereto, or additions thereto:  PROVIDED, That except for Washington state statutes, there shall be filed in the county auditor's office one copy of such codes and compilations ten days prior to their adoption by reference, and additional copies may also be filed in library or city offices within the county as deemed necessary by the county legislative authority:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That no such regulation, code, compilation, and/or statute shall be effective unless before its adoption, a public hearing has been held thereon by the county legislative authority of which at least ten days' notice has been given.  Any violation of such regulations, ordinances, codes, compilations, and/or statutes or resolutions shall constitute a misdemeanor or a civil violation subject to a monetary penalty:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That violation of a regulation, ordinance, code, compilation, and/or statute relating to traffic including parking, standing, stopping, and pedestrian offenses is a traffic infraction, except that violation of a regulation, ordinance, code, compilation, and/or statute equivalent to those provisions of Title 46 RCW set forth in RCW 46.63.020 remains a misdemeanor.  The notice must set out a copy of the proposed regulations; or if a code is adopted by reference the notice shall set forth the full official title and a statement describing the general purpose of such code.  The notice shall also include the day, hour, and place of hearing and must be given by publication in the newspaper in which legal notices of the county are printed;

          (8) Have power to compound and release in whole or in part any debt due to the county when in their opinion the interest of their county will not be prejudiced thereby, except in cases where they or any of them are personally interested;

          (9) Have power to administer oaths or affirmations necessary in the discharge of their duties and commit for contempt any witness refusing to testify before them with the same power as justices of the peace.