Washington § 35.18.270 - Organization — Election of council, procedure.

Full text of Washington Revised Code of Washington § 35.18.270 — Organization — Election of council, procedure., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 35.18.270. Organization — Election of council, procedure.

If the majority of the votes cast at a special election for organization on the council-manager plan favor the plan, the city or town shall elect the council required under the council-manager plan in number according to its population at the next municipal general election. However, special elections shall be held to nominate and elect the new city councilmembers at the next primary and general election held in an even-numbered year if the next municipal general election is more than one year after the date of the election at which the voters approved the council-manager plan. The staggering of terms of office shall occur at the election when the new councilmembers are elected, where the simple majority of the persons elected as councilmembers receiving the greatest numbers of votes shall be elected to four-year terms of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or three-year terms of office if the election is held in an even-numbered year, and the remainder of the persons elected as councilmembers shall be elected to two-year terms of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or one-year terms of office if the election is held in an even-numbered year. The initial councilmembers shall take office immediately when they are elected and qualified, but the lengths of their terms of office shall be calculated from the first day in January in the year following the election.
[ 1994 c 223 s 13; 1979 ex.s. c 126 s 20; 1965 c 7 s 35.18.270. Prior: 1959 c 76 s 5; 1955 c 337 s 12; prior: (i) 1943 c 271 s 8, part; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 9198-17, part. (ii) 1943 c 271 s 4, part; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 9198-13, part.]

Notes

Purpose—1979 ex.s. c 126: See RCW 29A.60.280(1).

Source: official Washington text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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What does Revised Code of Washington § 35.18.270 cover?

Section 35.18.270 ("Organization — Election of council, procedure.") is part of the Revised Code of Washington, the codified statutory law of Washington. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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