Section 17.04.070. Meetings—Qualifications of electors and directors—Elections—Officers—Bonds—Terms of office—Vacancies—Rules and regulations.

If the board of county commissioners establish such district it shall call a special meeting 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 by such board.

Notice of such meeting shall be given by the 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 county commissioner in whose commissioner district such district is located shall act as chair and call the meeting to order. The chair shall appoint two persons to assist him or her in conducting the election, one of whom shall act as clerk. If such county commissioner 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. . . . . of . . . . . . county (giving number of district and name of county)." 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 Monday of March following his or her election.

Annually thereafter, there shall be held a meeting of the electors of such district on the last Monday in February, except that the directors may, by giving the same notice as is required for the initial meeting, fix an earlier time for the annual meeting on any nonholiday during the months of December, January, or 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 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. In conducting directors' elections, the chair may accept nominations from the floor but voting shall not be limited to those nominated.

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 county commissioners of the county in which such district is located 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 board of county commissioners, which bond shall be filed with the county commissioners 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. The qualified electors of any weed district, at any annual meeting, may make other weeds that are not on the petition subject to control by the weed district by a two-thirds vote of the electors present: PROVIDED, That said weeds have been classified by the agricultural experiment station of Washington State University as noxious and: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the directors of the weed district give public notice in the manner required for initial meetings of the proposed new control of said weeds by the weed district.

[ 2011 c 336 § 446; 1971 ex.s. c 292 § 15; 1961 c 250 § 2; 1929 c 125 § 4; RRS § 2774-1. Formerly RCW 17.04.070 through 17.04.140.]

NOTES:

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

Elections: Chapter 29A.84 RCW.

2011 c 336 § 446; 1971 ex.s. c 292 § 15; 1961 c 250 § 2; 1929 c 125 § 4; RRS § 2774-1. Formerly RCW 17.04.070 through 17.04.140.