2020-01-07 City Council - Full Agenda-2514o Agenda
Edmonds City Council
snl. ,nyo COUNCIL CHAMBERS
250 5TH AVE NORTH, EDMONDS, WA 98020
JANUARY 7, 2020, 6:30 PM
CALL TO ORDER
ADMINISTRATION OF OATH OF OFFICE FOR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS
1. Oath of Office/Swearing In Ceremony for Newly Elected Officials (0 min)
ADJOURN
Edmonds City Council Agenda
January 7, 2020
Page 1
2.1
City Council Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 01/7/2020
Oath of Office/Swearing In Ceremony for Newly Elected Officials
Staff Lead: Scott Passey
Department: City Clerk's Office
Preparer: Scott Passey
Background/History
Typically, a newly elected official begins his or her term on or after the first day of January following the
election, but only after or upon taking the oath of office. The newly elected official may take the oath of
office beginning on January 1 or at the first meeting of the governing body after the first of the year.
State law also offers two additional options for taking the oath prior to the first of the year. RCW
29A.60.280(3) provides that the oath may be taken:
Up to 10 days prior to the scheduled date of assuming office (typically January 1). Note that the
oath does not have to be taken at a formal meeting of the governing body, although it often is.
At the last regular meeting of the city, county, or special purpose district governing body held
before the person elected is to assume office; If the governing body meets in a regular meeting
only once in December, regardless of date, the oath can be taken at that meeting.
If the oath is taken prior to January 1, then the elected official assumes office precisely at midnight on
January 1. The oath can be readministered for ceremonial purposes at the first meeting of the year if
this is desired.
The oath of office may be administered by any notary public or by any other officer authorized by
statute to administer oaths per RCW 29A.04.133(3). The following is a list of the officials in local
government who are authorized to administer the oath of office:
Court commissioner
Judicial officer
Judge
Clerk of court
County auditor or deputy auditor
County commissioner or county councilmember
Mayor of a code city, a town, or a second-class city
Mayor pro tem of a second-class city
Clerk of a code city
Town clerk or deputy clerk
Staff Recommendation
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2.1
N/A
Narrative
Newly -elected officials will be sworn into office by a person of their choosing. Since the official oath of
office was previously administered to each elected official by the City Clerk, this is for public and
ceremonial purposes.
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