Drafter
Clerk 06/02/2008
Title
AN ORDINANCE documenting approval of the 53rd judicial position of the King County superior court; and declaring an emergency.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The 2008 King County annual budget approved within the superior court's appropriation one additional FTE for the purpose of approving a fifty-third superior court judicial position to commence office on January 1, 2009. This additional judicial position was based on the recommendation of the interbranch planning and coordination efforts of the protocol committee, requested by the superior court, and included in the executive's 2008 proposed budget.
B. State law requires that the county document the legislative authority's approval of the 53rd judicial position and agreement that the county will pay out of county funds, without reimbursement from the state, the expenses of such additional judicial position as provided by statute.
C. The filing period for declarations of candidacy for offices commencing in January 2009 begins on June 2, 2008. To ensure that this formal documentation of approval of the 53rd judicial position is effective during the filing period it is necessary to enact this ordinance as an emergency.
SECTION 2. The county legislative authority approves adding to the King County superior court a fifty-third judicial position to commence office on January 1, 2009. By this ordinance, the legislative authority indicates its approval of the fifty-third judge and its willingness and agreement to pay for this position without reimbursement from the state as provided by statute. By this action the county has now approved seven 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-three.
SECTION 3. For the reasons set forth in section 1 of this ordinance, the county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is
necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, healthy or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.