RCW 17.06.050 Meetings—Qualifications of electors and directors—Elections—Officers—Bonds—Terms—Rules.

If the respective boards of county commissioners establish such district the chair of the principal board shall call a special meeting of landowners to be held within such district for the purpose of electing three directors for such district. No person shall be eligible to hold the office of director who is not a qualified elector of the state of Washington and a resident and landowner within such district. Such meeting shall be held not less than thirty nor more than ninety days from the date when such district is established.

Notice of such meeting shall be given by the principal county auditor by publication once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such district, and by posting such notice for not less than ten days before the date fixed for such meeting in three public places within the boundaries of such district. The notices shall state the object of the meeting and the time and place when the same shall be held.

At the time and place fixed for the meeting the chair shall appoint two persons to assist him or her in conducting the election, one of whom shall act as clerk. If such chair be not present the electors of such district then present shall elect a chair of the meeting.

Every person who is a landowner within such district and a qualified elector of the state of Washington shall be entitled to vote at such meeting. Any person offering to vote may be challenged by any legally qualified elector of such district, and the chair of such meeting shall thereupon administer to the person challenged an oath in substance as follows: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen of the United States and a qualified elector of the state of Washington and an owner of land within the boundaries of weed district No. . . . . (giving number of district)." If the challenged person shall take such oath or make such affirmation, he or she shall be entitled to vote; otherwise his or her vote shall not be received. Any person making a false oath, or affirmation, or any person illegally voting at such meeting, shall be punished as provided in the general election laws of the state for illegal voting.

The vote shall be by secret ballot, on white paper of uniform size and quality, of such arrangement that when names are written thereon, the same may be folded so as not to disclose the names. The elector shall write the names of three persons that he or she desires as the first directors of such district and shall fold his or her ballot and hand the same to the chair of the meeting who shall deposit it in a ballot box provided for that purpose. The clerk shall thereupon write the name of such person on a list as having voted at such election. After all persons present and entitled to vote have voted, the chair shall declare the election closed, and shall, with the assistance of the clerk and the other person appointed as assistant, proceed to count the ballots. The person receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected as director for a term ending three years from the first Monday in March following his or her election; the person receiving the second greatest number of votes shall be elected for a term ending two years from the first Monday in March following his or her election, and the person receiving the third greatest number of votes shall be elected for a term ending one year from the first day of March following his or her election.

Annually thereafter, there shall be held a meeting of the electors of such district on the first Monday in February. At such meeting one director shall be elected to succeed the director whose term will expire on the first Monday in March following. The directors shall call the annual meeting, and shall fix the time when and place where the same shall be held and shall give the same notice thereof as provided for the initial meeting. The annual meeting shall be conducted in the same manner as is provided for the initial meeting, and the qualifications of electors at such annual meeting shall be the same as is required for the initial meeting.

All directors shall hold office for the term for which they are elected, and until their successors are elected and qualified. In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of any director, the remaining members of the board of directors shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. The board of directors shall elect one of its members chair and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the board, and who shall be paid such compensation as the board may determine. Each director shall furnish a bond in the sum of one thousand dollars, which may be a surety company bond or property bond approved by the principal board of county commissioners, which bond shall be filed with the same board and shall be conditioned for the faithful discharge of his or her duties. The cost of such bond shall be paid by the district the same as other expenses of the district.

At any annual meeting the method for destroying, preventing, and exterminating weeds of such district as set forth in the petition, and the rules and regulations adopted by such district, may be changed by a majority vote of the qualified electors present at such meeting, or a special meeting may be called for that purpose, notice of which meeting and of such proposed changes to be voted on, shall be given to all landowners residing within the district by mailing a copy of such notice and of such proposed changes to the address of such landowner at least one week before the date fixed for such special meeting.

[ 2011 c 336 § 454; 1971 ex.s. c 292 § 16; 1959 c 205 § 5.]

NOTES:

Severability—1971 ex.s. c 292: See note following RCW 26.28.010.