Title
A MOTION relating to the organization of the council; amending a restriction on hiring staff formerly employed by another member; and amending Motion 10651, Section VI, as amended, and OR 3-010.
body
WHEREAS, the council has previously by motion restricted members from hiring as personal or district support and constituent services staff persons who were within the previous twelve months employed by another member, and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this restriction was to prevent confidential policy advisors of one member from entering employment with another serving member, and
WHEREAS, this unnecessarily restricts the ability of members to hire staff and for individuals be employed by members when their services to the county could provide great public benefit and would not present any potential conflict with another serving councilmember, and
WHEREAS, the council therefore desires to amend this restriction;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
I. Motion 10651, Section VI, as amended, and OR 3-010 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
Use of councilmembers' district accounts and district support and constituent services accounts.
A.1. All salaries and benefits for a councilmember and a councilmember's personal staff shall be paid out of the councilmember's district account, and all salaries and benefits for a councilmember's district support and constituent services staff shall be paid out of the councilmember's district support and constituent services account.
2.a. The council prohibits councilmembers from hiring as personal or district support and constituent services staff persons who have been employed within the prior twelve months:
(1) as a council policy or administrative central staff member classified at range 23 or above in the Legislative Branch Classification Plan; or
(2) persons who have been employed ((within the prior twelve months)) as a personal or district support and constituent services staff member of another currently serving councilmember, except with the consent of ((the former-employer)) that councilmember.
b. District account and district support and constituent services account moneys cannot be used to pay the salary or benefits of persons prohibited from being hired as set forth subsection A.2.a. of this section.
c. This subsection A.2. shall not apply to any employee hired as a personal staff member before October 13, 2008.
3. The central council account, a district account or a district support and constituent services account may not be used to fund benefits for employees whose employment as personal and district support and constituent services staff is prohibited by subsection A.2. of this section.
B.1. All expenditures for mail originating from an individual councilmember's office shall be paid for out of that councilmember's district account or district support and constituent services account, except for mailings of ten items or less, which may be paid for out of the council administration budget, and for postage that may be funded from the council administration budget subject to the approval of the chair of the council.
2. A councilmember shall not send any mass mailing that is deposited in the mail between the date the councilmember has filed a declaration and affidavit of candidacy with the department of elections and election day in any year in which an election is to be held to fill the councilmember's office. However, mailings may be made after the last day for filing for office if the councilmember has not filed for the office. For the purposes of this subsection B.2, "mass mailing" means any mailing of more than two hundred pieces that contains essentially identical messages and that is prepared or sent by or on behalf of an individual councilmember at council expense.
C. All expenditures for rent, office equipment and furniture, utilities and telephones to support a councilmember's outside district office shall be paid out of the councilmember's district support and constituent services account.
D. All travel expenditures incurred by a councilmember or the councilmember's or personal staff or the councilmember's district support and constituent services staff shall be paid for out of the councilmember's district support and constituent services account or from the councilmember's district support and constituent services account, or from the council administration budget with the approval of the chair of the council.
E. All other expenditures for community meetings, training, publications, newspaper advertising, nonnewspaper advertising, cellular phones, cellular phone services or other related activities as determined by the councilmember shall be paid out of the councilmember's district account or from the councilmember's district support and constituent services account, or from the council administration budget with the approval of the chair of the council.
F. Whenever questions about expenditures may arise, a councilmember shall
consult with the chief of staff, legal counsel or the chief of staff's designee as necessary in considering whether a specific expenditure is authorized by this section OR 3-010.