H-1979.1

HOUSE BILL 1832

State of Washington
67th Legislature
2022 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Springer, Vick, Walen, and Goehner
Prefiled 01/07/22.Read first time 01/10/22.Referred to Committee on Local Government.
AN ACT Relating to code city form of government elections and city manager appointment; and amending RCW 35A.06.040 and 35A.13.050.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 35A.06.040 and 1990 c 259 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Upon the passage of a resolution of the legislative body of a noncharter code city, or upon the filing of a sufficient petition with the county auditor signed by registered voters in number equal to not less than ten percent of the votes cast at the last general municipal election therein, proposing abandonment by the city of the plan of government under which it is then operating and adoption of another plan, naming such plan and its effective date, the sufficiency of the petition for abandonment shall be determined, an election ordered and conducted, and the results declared generally as provided in chapter 35A.02 RCW insofar as such provisions are applicable. If the resolution or petition proposes a plan of government other than those authorized in chapters 35A.12 RCW and 35A.13 RCW of this title, the resolution or petition shall specify the class under which such city will be classified upon adoption of such plan.
(2) A resolution proposing abandonment of a city's current plan of government and the adoption of a council-manager plan of government under subsection (1) of this section may be combined with a resolution proposing to designate the person elected to council position one as the chair of the council as described in RCW 35A.13.033, and such a combined proposal may be placed before the voters of the city as a single proposition.
Sec. 2. RCW 35A.13.050 and 2009 c 549 s 3022 are each amended to read as follows:
The city manager need not be a resident at the time of his or her appointment, ((but shall reside in the code city after his or her appointment)) unless such ((residence))residency is ((waived))required by the council. He or she shall be chosen by the council solely on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications with special reference to his or her actual experience in, or his or her knowledge of, accepted practice in respect to the duties of his or her office. No person elected to membership on the council shall be eligible for appointment as city manager until one year has elapsed following the expiration of the term for which he or she was elected.
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