Drafter
Clerk 05/12/2026
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to the King County employee code of ethics; and amending Ordinance 12014, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.017, Ordinance 1308, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.020, Ordinance 12014, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.030, Ordinance 6144, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.035, Ordinance 9704, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.037, and Ordinance 1308, Section 6, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.050.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 12014, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.017 are hereby amended to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
A. "Accomplice" means an individual who with knowledge that an action will promote or facilitate the commission of a crime or violation of an ordinance:
1. Solicits, commands, encourages, or requests another individual to commit the crime or violation; or
2. Aids or agrees to aid another individual in planning or committing the crime or violation.
B. "Close relative" means spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, child of domestic partner, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or relatives of a domestic partner who would be included in this subsection if the employee and the domestic partner were married.
C. "Compensation" means anything of economic value that is paid, granted, or transferred, or is to be paid, granted, or transferred for, or in consideration of, personal services to any person.
D. "County action" means any action on the part of the county, including, but not limited to:
1. Any decision, determination, finding, ruling, or order; and
2. Any grant, payment, award, license, contract, transaction, sanction, or approval, or the denial thereof or the failure to act with respect thereto. "County action" shall not include actions of the county's judicial branch but shall include employees of the department of judicial administration.
E. "County employee" or "employee" means any individual who is appointed as an employee by the appointing authority of a county agency, office, department, council, board, commission, or other separate unit or division of county government, however designated, but does not include employees of the county's judicial branch. "County employee" also includes county elected officials and members of county boards, commissions, committees, or other multimember bodies, but does not include officials or employees of the county's judicial branch but does include employees of the department of judicial administration.
F. "De minimis personal use" means: personal use that is brief and infrequent, incurs negligible or no additional cost to the county, and does not interfere with the conduct of county business.
G. "Department" means:
1. In the executive branch, an executive department or administrative office that reports to the executive or the county administrative officer, as applicable;
2. The department of assessments;
3. The prosecuting attorney's office;
4. In the legislative branch, the council together with any subordinate legislative branch agency;
5. The department of judicial administration;
6. The department of public safety;
7. The office of economic and financial analysis; and
8. The department of elections.
H. "Doing business with the county" or "transactions with the county" means to participate in any proceeding, application, submission, request for ruling, or other determination, contract, claim, case, or other such a particular matter that the county employee or former county employee in question believes, or has reason to believe:
1. Is, or will be, the subject of county action;
2. Is one to which the county is or will be a party; or
3. Is one in which the county has a direct and substantial proprietary interest.
I. "Gift or thing of value" or "gift or other thing of value" means anything of economic value or tangible worth that is not compensation. It shall not include campaign contributions regulated by chapter 42.17A RCW or the charter and ordinances implementing it; informational materials exclusively for official or office use; memorials, trophies, and plaques of no commercial value; gifts of fifty dollars or less for bona fide, nonrecurring, ceremonial occasions; any gifts that are not used and that, within thirty days after receipt, are returned to the donor, or donated to a charitable organization without seeking a tax deduction; or promotional benefits that an employee receives from a travel service provider in connection with official travel if obtained under the same conditions as those offered to the general public at no additional cost to the county.
J. "Immediate family" means a county employee's spouse, domestic partner, employee's child or the child of an employee's spouse or domestic partner, and other dependent relatives if living in the employee's household.
K. "Ombuds" means the director of the King County ombuds office, established under Section 260 of the King County Charter and K.C.C. chapter 2.52, or designee.
L. "Participate" means, in connection with a transaction involving the county, to be involved in a county action personally and substantially as a county employee either directly, or through others through approval, disapproval, decision, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or otherwise. However, for the purposes of K.C.C. 3.04.035, "participate" does not include the provision of legal advice or other activities involving the practice of law and does not include, as an elected official, preparation, consideration, or enactment of legislation or the performance of legislative duties.
M. "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, firm, institution, or other entity, whether or not operated for profit. The term does not include governmental units of or within the United States.
N. "Respondent" means the individual against whom a complaint is filed or an investigation is conducted.
O. "Retaliatory action" means any action by a supervisor or other employee that is intended to embarrass or to harass any individual as a result of the individual having filed a written complaint with the ombuds office or having raised privately or publicly any concern or question regarding an actual or apparent violation of this chapter.
P. "Significant Relationship" means a relationship between a county employee and any individual when the nature of the relationship may impair the employee’s objectivity. The nature of a "significant relationship" may include:
1. A history of shared address or domicile between the employee and the individual or immediate family members of the individual;
2. A romantic, sexual, or cohabitating relationship between the employee and the individual, regardless of marital status; or
3. A familial relationship between the employee and the individual if the individual is not a "close relative" as defined under K.C.C. 3.04.017.B. or "immediate family" as defined under K.C.C. 3.04.017.J.
Q. "Substantial financial interest" means a financial interest in a person that exceeds one-tenth of one percent of the outstanding securities of the person, or, if the interest is in an unincorporated business concern, exceeds one percent of the net worth of the concern; or a financial interest that exceeds five percent of the net worth of the employee and the employee's immediate family.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 1308, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.020 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. No county employee shall request, use, or permit the use of county-owned vehicles, equipment, materials, or other property or the expenditure of county funds for personal convenience or profit of the employee, a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship. Use or expenditure is to be restricted to such services as are available to the public generally or for such an employee in the conduct of official business. However, de minimis personal use of county-owned property by county employees may be authorized by policies of the executive, council, or other elected county officials.
B. No county employee shall grant any special consideration, treatment, or advantage beyond that which is available to every other resident.
C. Except as authorized by law and in the course of the employee's official duties, no county employee shall use the power or authority of the employee's office or position with the county in a manner intended to induce or coerce any other person, directly or indirectly, to provide the county employee or any other person, including a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, with any compensation, gift, or thing of value.
D. No county employee shall seek or receive, directly or indirectly, any compensation, gift, or thing of value, or promise thereof, ((for)) as a result of either the employee performing or ((for)) the employee omitting or deferring the performance of any official duty((,)) or action by the county other than the compensation, costs, or fees provided by law.
E. Except as may be authorized under K.C.C. 3.04.037, no county employee may supervise a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, who is also a county employee. For purposes of this section, "supervise" includes participating in the management or overseeing of county contracts or grants when the contractor or grantee is:
1. A close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship; or
2. The person is an employee, agent, officer, partner, director, or consultant of contractor or grantee doing business with the county.0
F. Except as may be authorized under K.C.C. 3.04.037, no county employee may influence county action related to employment-related decisions, including hiring or compensation decisions, involving a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship. For purposes of this section, county action also includes participating in any selection or award process for county contracts or grants in which either a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, is:
1. Seeking to do business with the county; or
2. An employee, agent, officer, partner, director, or consultant of any person seeking to do business with the county.
G. County employees are encouraged to participate in the political process on their own time and outside of the workplace by assisting a campaign for the election of any individual to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition, but shall not use or authorize the use of the facilities of King County for such purposes except as authorized by RCW 42.17A.555.
((F.)) H. No county employee shall disclose or use for the personal benefit of the employee, ((or)) the employee's immediate family or a close relative, or an individual with an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, any information acquired in the course of official duties that is not available as a matter of public knowledge or public record.
((G.)) I. No county employee shall engage in retaliatory action.
SECTION 3. Ordinance 12014, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.030 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. No county employee shall engage in any act that is in conflict with the performance of official duties.
B. A county employee shall be deemed to have a conflict of interest if the employee, and when applicable, a close relative or immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, directly or indirectly:
1. Receives or has any financial interest in any purchase, sale, or lease to or by the county of any service or property when the financial interest was received or obtained with the prior knowledge of the employee that the county intended to purchase, sell, or lease such a property or service;
2. Is beneficially interested or has a substantial financial interest in, or accepts any compensation, gift, or thing of value from any other person beneficially interested in((,)) any contract, sale, lease, option, or purchase that may be made by, through, or under the supervision of the employee, in whole or in part;
3. Accepts or seeks for others((,)) any employment, travel expense, service, information, compensation, gift, or thing of value on more favorable terms than those granted to other county employees or the public generally, from any person doing business, or seeking to do business, with the county for which the employee has responsibility or with regard to which the employee may participate, provided that this subsection shall not apply to the receipt by elected officials, or by employees who are supervised directly by an elected official, of meals, refreshments, or transportation within the boundaries of the county when given in connection with meetings with constituents or meetings that are informational or ceremonial in nature;
4. Accepts or directs any favor, loan, retainer, entertainment, travel expense, compensation, gift, or other thing of value from any person doing business or seeking to do business with the county when such an acceptance or direction may conflict with the performance of the employee's official duties. A conflict shall be deemed to exist where a reasonable and prudent individual would believe that it was given for the purpose of obtaining special consideration or to influence county action. The financing of county election campaigns shall continue to be governed by chapter 42.17A RCW and the provisions of the charter and ordinances implementing it;
5. Participates in, influences, or attempts to influence, the selection of, or the conduct of business or a transaction with a person doing or seeking to do business with the county if the employee, a close relative or immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, has a substantial financial interest in or with ((said)) the person;
6. Discusses or accepts an offer of future employment for the employee, a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, with any person doing or seeking to do business with the county if either:
a. the employee knows or has reason to believe that the offer of employment was or is intended, in whole or in part, as compensation or reward for the performance or nonperformance of a duty by the employee during the course of county employment or to influence county action pertaining to the business; or
b. the employee has responsibility for a matter upon which the person is doing or seeking to do business with the county, unless the employee has given notice in accordance with K.C.C. 3.04.037 and a method of providing for an alternative decision maker for the matter has been designated by the employee's appointing authority in a memorandum filed with the board of ethics, a copy of which is maintained by the appointing authority;
7. Within one year of entering county employment:
a. participates in a county action benefiting a person that formerly employed the employee, a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, except that participation may be authorized in a memorandum by the appointing authority following written disclosure by the affected employee and the authorization shall be filed with the board of ethics and a copy maintained by the appointing authority; or
b. awards a county contract benefiting a person that formerly employed the employee, a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship;
8. Is an employee, agent, officer, partner, director, or consultant((,)) of any person doing or seeking to do business with the county, or a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, is an employee, agent, officer, partner, director, or consultant of any person doing or seeking to do business with the county unless such a relationship has been disclosed as provided by this chapter;
9. Engages in or accepts compensation, employment, or renders services for any person or a governmental entity other than the county when such an employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of the employee's official duties or would impair independence of judgment or action in the performance of official duties;
10. Enters into a business relationship outside county government:
a. with any other employee for whom the employee has any supervisory responsibility; or
b. with any person with regard to a matter for which the employee has responsibility as a county employee;
11. Possesses a substantial financial interest in any person which does or seeks to do business with the county, without disclosing such an interest as provided by this chapter;
12. As an appointive member of a board or commission, has a close relative serving on the same board or commission; or
13. Acts as an accomplice in any act by an immediate family member or a close relative of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, which, if the act were performed by the employee, would be prohibited by this subsection. However, it shall not be a conflict of interest for the immediate family member or a close relative of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, to enter into a bona fide contract of employment that is not intended to influence the action of the county employee.
C.1. The following employees must obtain the prior written consent of their highest ranking supervisor authorizing new or continued employment outside King County government, or authorizing the acceptance of any compensation or anything of value for services performed outside King County government:
a. the county administrative officer, the chief officer of each executive department or administrative office as defined by the charter, the manager of each division of the department or office, and all individuals who report directly to them;
b. all nonelected council employees, except that the personal staff of each individual councilmember shall obtain the consent from the councilmember;
c. all nonelected employees of the prosecuting attorney;
d. all nonelected employees of the department of judicial administration;
e. all nonelected employees of the department of assessments; and
f. the chief economist of the office of economic and financial analysis.
2. If the employment or service is deemed by the highest-ranking supervisor to pose a conflict of interest, the employee immediately shall divest the employment and failure to do so shall be grounds for dismissal.
D. A county employee shall be deemed to have a conflict of interest if the employee appears on behalf of a person in any action or proceeding against the interest of the county in any litigation to which the county is a party, unless the employee has a personal interest in the litigation and this personal interest has been disclosed to the regulatory governmental agency or adjudicating individual or body. A county councilmember may appear before regulatory governmental agencies on behalf of constituents in the course of the councilmember's duties as a representative of the electorate or in the performance of public or civic obligations; however, no official or employee shall accept a retainer or compensation, or any gift or thing of value that is contingent upon a specific action by a county agency.
E.1. A county councilmember shall be deemed to have a conflict of interest if the councilmember, directly or indirectly, has a substantial financial or other private interest in any legislation or other matter coming before the council, and fails to disclose the interest on the records of the county council. This subsection shall not apply if the county councilmember is excused from voting by stating the nature and extent of such an interest.
2. Any other employee who is not a county councilmember, who, directly or indirectly, has a substantial financial or other private interest in, and who participates in, an action or proposed action of the county council and fails to disclose on the records of the county council the nature and extent of the interest, shall be deemed in violation of this chapter.
F.1. A county employee shall be deemed to have a conflict of interest if the employee, a close relative or an immediate family member of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, directly or indirectly, has an interest in any property being considered for revaluation by the county board of appeals and equalization or has a personal interest or connection with another person's petition for revaluation while the employee is:
a. an elected county official;
b. the executive's administrative assistant or office manager;
c. a county councilmember's executive secretary;
d. the county administrative officer, the county administrative officer's administrative assistants, or the county administrative officer's confidential secretary;
e. the chief officer of an executive department, the chief officer's administrative assistant, or the chief officer's confidential secretary;
f. the chief officer of an administrative office, the chief officer's administrative assistants, or the chief officer's confidential secretary;
g. the council administrator, the council administrator's administrative assistant, or the council administrator's secretary;
h. the ombuds or the ombuds's staff;
i. an employee of the department of assessments;
j. an employee assigned to either the board of equalization or the board of appeals, or both;
k. any other county employee who has direct contact with the board of appeals and equalization in the carrying out of the employee's duties;
l. a member of either the county board of appeals or the board of equalization, or both; or
m. The clerk of the council or the clerk's secretary.
2. All individuals listed in this subsection who wish to appeal to the county board of equalization on a matter of property revaluation shall be governed by the procedure in K.C.C. 3.04.040.
SECTION 4. Ordinance 6144, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.035 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. For one year after terminating service to the county, a former member of a county board, commission, committee, or other multimember body may not appear before that board, commission, committee, or other multimember body, or receive compensation for any services rendered on behalf of or for assistance to any person, in relation to any county action in which the former member participated during the period of the former member's service. This prohibition also applies during the same period of time to any person with which the former member has a financial or beneficial interest. However, this prohibition does not apply if the former member's financial or beneficial interest in any entity listed in this subsection is limited to investments and does not include managerial or other influential authority, including holding controlling interest in any class of stock.
B. For one year after leaving county employment, a former county employee may not have a financial or beneficial interest in a contract or grant that was planned, authorized, or funded by a county action in which the former county employee participated during county employment.
C. For one year after leaving county employment, a former county employee may not assist a person, whether or not for compensation, in any county action in which the former county employee participated during county employment. This subsection does not prohibit a former county employee from rendering assistance to county employees in the course of union or guild business.
D. For one year after leaving county employment, a former employee must disclose the former employee's past county employment before participation in any county action. The disclosure shall be made in writing to the department considering or taking the county action on which the former employee is or would be participating.
E. A former county employee may not, for the personal benefit of the former employee, ((or)) a member of the former employee's immediate family, a close relative of the employee, or an individual with whom the former employee has a significant relationship, disclose or use any privileged or proprietary information gained by reason of the former employee's county employment unless the information is a matter of public knowledge or is available to the public on request.
F. A former county employee may not assist any person for compensation on matters in which the former employee is personally prohibited from participating.
G. It is not a violation of this chapter for a former county employee to render assistance to a person if the assistance is provided without compensation in any form and is limited to one or more of the following:
1. Providing names, work addresses, and work telephone numbers of county agencies or county employees, to the extent the information is available as a matter of public record under state law;
2. Providing free transportation to another for the purpose of conducting business with a county agency;
3. Assisting oneself or another person in obtaining or completing forms required by a county agency for the conduct of a county business;
4. Providing assistance to the poor or infirm; or
5. Engaging in conduct that is authorized or protected by the constitutions or laws of Washington state or the United States.
H.1. This section does not prohibit a former county employee from accepting future employment with the county at any time, including employment with a former department.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a former county employee is not prohibited from appearing before the county or seeking a county action on the former county employee's own behalf to the same extent other persons may appear before or seek actions by the county.
I. Except as otherwise limited by this chapter, a former county employee may contract with the county, or participate in a contract with the county, to provide materials, equipment, supplies, or services. However, any such a contract must comply with applicable requirements and procedures related to procurement.
SECTION 5. Ordinance 9704, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.037 are hereby amended to read as follows:
Any employee who becomes aware that the employee might have a potential conflict of interest that arises in the course of the employee's official duties shall notify in writing the employee's supervisor or appointing authority of the potential conflict immediately upon becoming aware of the potential conflict.
Upon receipt of such a notification, the supervisor or appointing authority shall take action to resolve the potential conflict of interest within a reasonable time, which ((may)) shall include at minimum, but is not limited to, designating an alternative employee to perform the duty that is involved in the potential conflict and informing the office of the ombuds of the potential conflict. The supervisor or appointing official may also request an advisory opinion from the board of ethics before disposing of the potential conflict. The supervisor or appointing authority shall document the disposition of the potential conflict in writing in files maintained by the appointing authority.((The supervisor or appointing authority may request an advisory opinion from the board of ethics before disposing of the potential conflict.))
SECTION 6. Ordinance 1308, Section 6, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.04.050 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. All nominees for appointment to any county elective office except for judicial candidates, within two weeks of becoming a nominee, and all elected officials who are defined as county employees under K.C.C. 3.04.017, paid in whole or in part by county funds, shall file with the board of ethics a statement of financial and other interests as prescribed in subsection D. of this section. This requirement may be satisfied by filing with the board of ethics a signed copy of the report required to be filed by RCW 42.17A.700.
B.1. Within two weeks of employment or appointment and on or before April 15 of each year thereafter, the following employees shall file a statement of financial and other interests, as prescribed in subsection D. of this section, with the board of ethics: all elected county officials; all employees appointed by the county executive; all employees appointed by the county administrative officer or department directors and who are subject to the approval of the county executive; all employees of the council; all employees of the office of economic and financial analysis; and such additional employees as may be determined in accordance with criteria adopted by the board of ethics under subsection C. of this section. Statements of financial and other interests that are to be filed within two weeks of employment or appointment shall report on information for the preceding twelve calendar months. Annual statements of financial and other interests shall report on information for the preceding calendar year.
2. Within two weeks of becoming a nominee for appointment to county boards and commissions, the nominee shall file with the board of ethics a statement of financial and other interests, as prescribed in subsection D. of this section, reporting on information for the preceding twelve calendar months.
C The board of ethics shall adopt by rule criteria for determining which employees, in addition to those designated in subsection B. of this section, are required to complete and file statements of financial and other interests. The criteria must consider the association between the duties and responsibilities of employees and the conflict of interest provisions in K.C.C. 3.04.030.
D. The statement of financial and other interests required to be filed under this section must include the following information of which the employee has, or reasonably should have, knowledge for the reporting period:
1.a. the name of each person engaged in a transaction with the county in which the employee may participate or has responsibility for, where the employee ((or)), a member of the employee's immediate family, a close relative of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship, received any compensation, gift, or thing of value, possessed a financial interest, or held a position with the person;
b. the name of the individual who received the compensation, gift, or thing of value from, possessed the financial interest in, or held a position with the person engaged in the transaction with the county, and the individual's relationship to the employee; and
c. the title of the position; and
2.a. Real property, listed by street address, assessor parcel number or legal description that was involved in or the subject of an action by the county, in which the employee ((or)), a member of the employee's immediate family, a close relative of the employee, or an individual with whom the employee has a significant relationship possessed a financial interest, except that property for which the only county action was valuation for tax purposes does not have to be reported except by those employees of the department of assessments and the board of appeals who are required to file a report related to the valuation;
b. the name of the individual who possessed the financial interest and the individual's relationship to the employee; and
c. the name of the King County department involved in the transaction.
d. The use the individual made of the real property, such as recreation, personal residence, or income, does not have to be reported.
E. The statement of financial and other interests must be signed with location of signing, dated, and declared to be complete, true, and correct under penalty of perjury of the laws of the state of Washington.
F. The financing of election campaigns shall continue to be governed by other applicable local, state, and federal laws, and not by the provisions of this chapter.
G. Filing of the statement of financial and other interests does not relieve the employee of the duty to notify the employee's supervisor of a potential conflict of interest as required by K.C.C. 3.04.037.
H. The board may adopt rules and regulations by which affected employees may request suspension or modification of the requirements to disclose financial and other interests set forth in this section if the literal application of the requirements would cause a manifestly unreasonable hardship and the suspension or modification would not frustrate the purposes of this chapter.
I. The board of ethics may adopt necessary and appropriate rules, regulations and forms related to completing, filing, maintaining, and disclosing statements of financial
and other interests under this section. The board shall follow the requirements of K.C.C. chapter 2.98 for rule making.