Drafter
Clerk 04/27/2026
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the prevention, detection, and response to fraud, waste, and abuse of county-administered moneys, and creating an inspector general division within the office of public complaints.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 13320, Section 14, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.07.140 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Except for allegations of untimely filing of statements and reports, which are processed by the department under K.C.C. 1.07.130.K., complaints alleging a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be filed with the ((county ombuds)) office of public complaints. Any such ((a)) complaint shall be in writing, verified and signed by the complainant. The complainant shall describe the basis for the complainant's belief that this chapter has been violated. The complainant may state in the written complaint whether the complainant desires that the complainant's name be withheld from disclosure under RCW 42.17.310(1)(e) if the complaint is the subject of a public records disclosure request.
B. Within twenty days of receiving a complaint meeting the requirements of subsection A. of this section, the ((county ombuds)) office of public complaints shall serve or mail, by certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy of the complaint to the person alleged to have violated this chapter. Within forty days of receiving the complaint the ((county ombuds)) office of public complaints shall analyze the merits of the complaint to determine whether a full investigation is warranted. The ((county ombuds)) office of public complaints shall have the authority to issue an order dismissing the complaint, or specific sections of the complaint, if the ((county ombuds)) office of public complaints determines that the complaint or specific sections of the complaint, as written, alleges a de minimis violation or does not state facts that, even if true, would constit...
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