Chapter 1.168
BONDS OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED COUNTY OFFICIALS
Sections:
1.168.010 Findings.
(1) RCW 36.16.050 requires each elected county official to furnish a bond conditioned that he or she will faithfully perform the duties of his or her office and account for and pay over all money which may come into his or her hands by virtue of his or her office, and that he or she, or his or her executors or administrators, will deliver to his or her successor safe and undefaced all books, records, papers, seals, equipment, and furniture belonging to his or her office; and
(2) RCW 36.16.050 establishes that the county legislative authority has certain discretion to establish the bond amounts for the assessor, auditor, commissioners, coroner, and sheriff at twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars each; and
(3) The bond provided by the county for the assessor, auditor, commissioners, coroner, and sheriff, at the discretion of the county legislative authority, may be in the form of a blanket bond; and
(4) RCW 36.16.050 establishes that the appropriate bond amount for the treasurer and the clerk shall be one hundred fifty thousand dollars each, and that the county legislative authority has certain discretion to establish the bond amount for the prosecuting attorney at one hundred fifty thousand dollars, and that each may be individual separate bonds; and
(5) Pursuant to RCW 36.16.050, the treasurer’s bond shall be conditioned that all moneys received by him for the use of the county shall be paid as the proper county legislative authority shall from time to time direct, except where special provision is made by law for the payment of such moneys, by order of any court, or otherwise, and for the faithful discharge of his or her duties; and
(6) The superior court judges have not ordered the clerk to execute a bond pursuant to RCW 36.23.020 in any other amount than as required pursuant to RCW 36.16.050; and
(7) The board of county commissioners, which is the county legislative authority, has no basis to require the sheriff to execute a bond pursuant to RCW 36.28.030 in addition to the bond required by RCW 36.16.050; and
(8) The county legislative authority has the discretion to establish that no bonds shall be required for any precinct officers or other county officers not stated herein; and
(9) RCW 3.34.090 establishes that the county legislative authority shall provide for the bonding of each district judge, district judge pro tempore, district court commissioner, clerk of the district court, and court employee, at the expense of the county, in such amount as the county legislative authority shall prescribe, conditioned that each such person will pay over according to law all moneys which shall come into the person’s custody in causes filed in the district court. Such bond shall not be less than the maximum amount of money liable to be under the control, at any one time, of each such person in the performance of his or her duties; and
(10) RCW 2.32.180 requires each court reporter of the superior court file a bond in the sum of two thousand dollars for the faithful discharge of his or her duties; and
(11) RCW 48.28.040 states that the premium for bonds given by such surety insurers for appointive or elective public officers and for such of their deputies or employees as are required to give bond shall be paid by the state, political subdivision, or public body so served. (Res. 2020-13, 2/3/20).
1.168.020 Established.
(1) The recitals in Section 1.168.010 constitute findings of fact and conclusions of law and are incorporated herein.
(2) Bonding shall be obtained for the assessor, auditor, commissioners, coroner, and sheriff at twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars each in the form of a blanket bond.
(3) The bond amount for the treasurer, clerk, and prosecutor shall be one hundred fifty thousand dollars each, and shall be individual, separate bonds.
(4) The treasurer’s bond shall be conditioned that all moneys received by him for the use of the county shall be paid as the proper county legislative authority shall from time to time direct, except where special provision is made by law for the payment of such moneys, by order of any court, or otherwise, and for the faithful discharge of his or her duties.
(5) No further bonding for the sheriff or the clerk pursuant to RCW 36.28.030 or 36.23.020 is warranted.
(6) No bonds shall be required for any precinct officers or other county officers not stated herein.
(7) A blanket bond in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars shall be obtained for each district judge, district judge pro tempore, district court commissioner, clerk of the district court, and court employee, at the expense of the county.
(8) The district court blanket bond shall be conditioned that each such person will pay over according to law all moneys which shall come into the person’s custody in causes filed in the district court.
(9) A bond for each court reporter of the superior court in the sum of two thousand dollars for the faithful discharge of his or her duties shall be obtained.
(10) The county legislative authority shall pay for the bonds stated herein consistent with RCW 48.28.040. (Res. 2020-13, 2/3/20).