Local Government in Washington - An Overview

Contents

• Introduction
• Cities and Counties
• Special Purpose Districts
• Local Government Today
• Local Government Supporting Organizations

Introduction

Washington State has a strong tradition of local governance dating back to the territorial days prior to statehood in 1889. There are two "general-purpose" local governments in Washington, counties and cities (the term "cities" as used here includes towns). "General purpose" refers to government units which perform broad functions, delivering a variety of public services and providing a means for representing local citizens. In addition, there are over forty types of "limited purpose" governments, generally referred to as special purpose districts, which deliver specific public services. In all, there are 39 counties, 281 cities and towns and some 1,400 special purpose districts. The significant number of separate and independent special purpose districts is a distinctive feature of Washington State local governance.

An excellent history of local governments in Washington State can be found in "A History of Washington's Local Governments," Volume I of the Final Report of the Washington State Local Governance Study Commission, January 1988.

Cities and Counties

Originally, counties and cities were the only units of government (except for school districts). They had distinctive roles and responsibilities, and acted independently of each other. Today, the key distinction between counties and cities is in the territory covered. As a general rule, counties are area-wide governments which cover all parts of the state. In contrast, cities are generally center-oriented government units established by incorporation to provide an economic identity and public services to population concentrations both large and small. While city boundaries can change through annexation, counties are legal subdivisions of the state in that the state legislature has divided the state into 39 counties with fixed boundaries covering the entire state.

Special Purpose Districts

Beginning shortly after statehood, the legislature authorized new units of government known as "special purpose districts" to provide specific services to defined populations. As the years went by, more special purpose districts were created, some providing city-type services such as fire, water, and sewer, to people living in unincorporated areas within counties. In addition to providing for numerous special purpose districts, the state legislature continued to authorize new functions for both counties and cities, some of them similar to what the other was already authorized to perform and some of them the same as services special purpose districts were already authorized to perform.

For more on special purpose districts, see our Special Purpose Districts in Washington Web page.

Local Government Today - Growth Management and Government Service Cooperation

Over the years, the three types of local governments in Washington - counties, cities, and special purpose districts - began to acquire overlapping powers and responsibilities, and their roles have become more similar. Although the similarity of roles has led to some conflict and competition among the local governments, a variety of forms of cooperation between them has also evolved. The range of methods for local inter-governmental cooperation is another distinctive feature of Washington State government. The development of informal interlocal cooperation may also explain the lack of formal regional units of government in Washington State.

After a century of increasingly blurring the distinction between counties and cities, the legislature in the 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA) recognized that counties are the regional governments within their boundaries and that cities are the primary providers of urban governmental services within urban growth areas (RCW 36.70A.210). The GMA requires cooperative planning between counties and cities subject to the GMA. In 1994, the legislature passed the Local Government Service Agreements Act, Chapter 36.115 RCW, further encouraging voluntary transfers of functional responsibility among units of local government to allocate the financing and provision government services and facilities using the most efficient geographic units regardless of jurisdictional boundaries.

For more information about the Growth Managment Act, see our Comprehensive Planning/Growth Management Web page.

Local Government Supporting Organizations

Many individual counties and cities in Washington have their own County and City Web sites providing specific governmental information. Counties and cities each have their own advocacy organizations. The Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) represents Washington's counties before the state legislature, the state executive branch, and regulatory agencies. The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) is comprised of the elected county officials and the comparable appointed officials in those counties which have adopted home rule charters. The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) represents Washington's cities and towns before the state legislature and provides technical assistance and training to cities. The Municipal Research & Services Center (MRSC), an independent organization funded through the Municipal Research Council, provides consultation, research and information services to Washington's counties and cities.