Elective county officers enumerated.

Except as provided elsewhere in this section, in every county there shall be elected from among the qualified voters of the county a county assessor, a county auditor, a county clerk, a county coroner, three county commissioners, a county prosecuting attorney, a county sheriff and a county treasurer, except that in each county with a population of less than forty thousand no coroner shall be elected and the prosecuting attorney shall be ex officio coroner. Whenever the population of a county increases to forty thousand or more, the prosecuting attorney shall continue as ex officio coroner until a coroner is elected, at the next general election at which the office of prosecuting attorney normally would be elected, and assumes office as provided in *RCW 29.04.170. In any county where the population has once attained forty thousand people and a current coroner is in office and a subsequent census indicates less than forty thousand people, the county legislative authority may maintain the office of coroner by resolution or ordinance. If the county legislative authority has not passed a resolution or enacted an ordinance to maintain the office of coroner, the elected coroner shall remain in office for the remainder of the term for which he or she was elected, but no coroner shall be elected at the next election at which that office would otherwise be filled and the prosecuting attorney shall be the ex officio coroner. In a county with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or more, the county legislative authority may replace the office of coroner with a medical examiner system and appoint a medical examiner as specified in RCW 36.24.190. A noncharter county may have five county commissioners as provided in RCW 36.32.010 and 36.32.055 through 36.32.0558.

[1996 c 108 § 1; 1991 c 363 §§ 46, 47; 1990 c 252 § 8; 1963 c 4 § 36.16.030. Prior: 1955 c 157 § 5; prior: (i) Code 1881 § 2707; 1869 p 310 §§ 1-3; 1863 p 549 §§ 1-3; 1854 p 424 §§ 1-3; RRS § 4083. (ii) Code 1881 § 2738; 1863 p 552 § 1; 1854 p 426 § 1; RRS § 4106. (iii) 1891 c 5 § 1; RRS § 4127. (iv) 1890 p 478 § 1; 1886 p 164 § 1; 1883 p 39 § 1; Code 1881 § 2752; 1869 p 402 § 1; 1854 p 428 § 1; RRS § 4140. (v) 1943 c 139 § 1; Code 1881 § 2766; 1863 p 557 § 1; 1854 p 434 § 1; Rem. Supp. 1949 § 4155. (vi) Code 1881 § 2775, part; 1863 p 559 § 1, part; 1854 p 436 § 1, part; RRS § 4176, part. (vii) 1933 c 136 § 2; 1925 ex.s. c 148 § 2; RRS § 4200-2a. (viii) 1937 c 197 § 1; 1933 c 136 § 3; 1925 ex.s. c 148 § 3; RRS § 4200-3a. (ix) 1937 c 197 § 2; 1933 c 136 § 4; 1925 ex.s. c 148 § 4; RRS § 4200-4a. (x) 1927 c 37 § 1; 1890 p 304 § 2; RRS § 4205-1.]

Notes: *Reviser's note: RCW 29.04.170 was recodified as RCW 29A.20.040 pursuant to 2003 c 111 § 2401, effective July 1, 2004.

Effective dates -- 1991 c 363 §§ 28, 29, 33, 47, 131: See note following RCW 28A.343.660.

Purpose -- Captions not law -- 1991 c 363: See notes following RCW 2.32.180.