Title
AN ORDINANCE documenting approval of the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth judge positions of the King County superior court.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The King County superior court has fifty-four authorized judges to serve a growing case load commensurate with the county's expanding population and the increasing complexity of adjudicating cases.
2. RCW 2.08.061 authorizes King County to have a total of fifty-eight superior court judges serving county residents.
3. Section 8, Chapter 189, Laws of Washington 1992, allows King County to add additional judges up to the fifty-eight-judge limit whenever the county's "legislative authority documents its approval of any additional positions and its agreement that it will pay out of county funds, without reimbursement from the state, the expense of such additional judicial positions as provided by statute."
4. The original July 1, 1996, deadline for council action adding additional judges was removed by Section 3, Chapter 208, Laws of Washington 1996, while retaining preauthorization for fifty-eight total positions.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The county legislative authority approves adding to the King County superior court a fifty-fifth and a fifty-sixth judge position to commence office on January 1, 2025. By this action the council has now approved ten of the twelve additional King County superior court judges authorized by RCW 2.08.061, raising the total number of superior court judges for King County to fifty-six.
SECTION 2. By this ordinance, the county legislative authority indicates its willingness and agreement to pay for the two additional judges of the superior court. Unless moneys are subsequently appropriated by the state, the positions shall be funded by county moneys, without reimbursement from the state, the expense of such additional judicial positions as provided by statute.
SECTION 3. A copy of this ordinance shall be transmitted by the executive to the
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