Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to King County's code of ethics; authorizing elected officials, or employees who are acting on behalf of elected officials, to solicit and receive public office fund contributions; adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 3.04 and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 2.80.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. As part of their official county duties, county office holders are often called upon to participate in various official events and functions and to undertake certain official duties and related activities that might involve expense to the county or to the individual office holders.
B. Such expenses include, among other matters, costs of travel, meals, accommodations, event admissions and gifts presented on behalf of the county or a county official in recognition of services or to promote goodwill.
C. While expenses of this nature are nominal in terms of the overall county budget and may not always be subject to public reimbursement, they nonetheless can result in additional public cost that can be avoided or reduced if privately paid for.
D. This ordinance establishes a mechanism for allowing office holders to solicit or accept private funds to defray such expenses to the public or to the office holder that are incurred while he or she is carrying out public responsibilities.
E. The solicitations or receipts are allowed by this ordinance only under specified conditions that appropriately safeguard against potential for unjust and inequitable treatment or conflicts of interest.
F. Private office funds authorized by this ordinance may only be used for reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out activities related to the elected official's public office responsibilities; may not be transferred to a political committee or used to promote or oppose a candidate or ballot measure; and limit individual contributions to no more than an average of two hundred and fifty ...

Click here for full text