HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1833

BYRepresentatives Dorn, Butterfield, Jones, Nealey, Rayburn, Rasmussen, Fox, Hine, Haugen, Sanders, Ferguson and D. Sommers 

Revising provisions for a mayor pro tempore.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Beck, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Dorn, Ferguson, Hine, Jones, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Rayburn and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 15, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Towns are governed by an elected mayor and a five member city council, unless the town has opted to be governed by a council/manager form of government.

A mayor pro tempore can be chosen by a town council to act for the mayor, in the mayor's absence but the council member chosen as mayor pro tempore only retains this position for the day in which he or she is chosen.

SUMMARY:

A town council can chose a council member to act as the mayor pro tempore for a specified period of time, not to exceed six months, to act as the mayor in the absence of the mayor, instead of for only the day in which he or she is chosen to be mayor pro tempore.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representatives Dorn and Butterfield, sponsors; and Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This will help towns and give them flexibility.  Sometimes the mayor resigns, or goes on vacation and is away from the town.  In such instances the person chosen as mayor pro tem can hold this position for only a single day.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.