Classification of First Class Cities

As of August 2003

Ten thousand or more. May choose form of government through adoption of local charters; governments of first class cities, therefore, do not follow a uniform pattern. Constitution, Article XI, Section 10, as amended by Amendment 40; Chapter 35.22 RCW and RCW 35.01.010.

MAYOR-COUNCIL

Aberdeen

• People Elect
  Mayor, 12 councilmembers (two from each of six wards), four-year terms, councilmanic terms overlapping.
• Mayor Appoints
  Department heads, finance director (finance director is ex-officio city clerk), boards, and commissions subject to confirmation by the council.

Bellingham

• People Elect
  Mayor, finance director, and seven councilmembers (one from each of six wards, one at-large). Four-year terms, except one councilmember at-large for a two-year term, councilmanic terms overlapping.
• Mayor Appoints
  Department heads, including police chief, fire chief, public works director, deputy administrator, director of planning and community development, budget director, director of parks and recreation, municipal court administrator, planning commission, and certain advisory boards without council approval. City attorney, civil service commission, board of adjustment, library board, museum board, and municipal arts commission, public works advisory board are subject to council approval.

Bremerton

• People Elect
  Mayor, nine councilmembers (one from each of nine districts). Four-year terms, councilmanic terms overlapping.
• Mayor Appoints
  Administrative heads with confirmation by the city council, including: administrative services director, building official, city attorney, city clerk, city engineer, city treasurer, chief of fire, chief of police, planning director, public works director. Appoints park board, city planning commission, civil service commission, and library board, with consent of the city council.
  
  A city (internal) auditor is appointed by the audit committee and serves at the pleasure of the committee.

Everett

• People Elect
  Mayor and seven councilmembers (all at-large). Four-year terms, councilmanic terms overlapping. Two part-time municipal judges.
• Mayor Appoints
  Department heads, chief administrative assistant, city attorney, superintendent of parks and recreation, board of library trustees, and advisory boards, subject to confirmation by the council; not subject to confirmation-city clerk, city treasurer, chief of police, city engineer, fire chief, city planner, civil service commission, and other appointive officers.

Seattle

• People Elect
  Mayor, nine councilmembers (all at-large), and city attorney. Four-year terms, councilmanic terms overlapping. Eight municipal court judges.
• Mayor Appoints
  Department heads; most appointments are subject to confirmation by the council.
• Council Appoints
  The city auditor who shall have a six-year term and is appointed by the chair of the finance committee, subject to council confirmation. May be removed for cause by a majority of the council.

Spokane

• People Elect
  Mayor, council president, and six councilmembers. Mayor and council president are elected at-large. Two councilmembers are elected from each of three districts, with terms overlapping. The term for each elected official is four years.
• Mayor Appoints
  Department heads, city clerk and city attorneys, all subject to city council confrimation; assistant department heads, all other officers and employees.  

COUNCIL-MANAGER

Richland

• People Elect
  Seven councilmembers at-large, six serving overlapping four-year terms and one serving a two-year term.
• Council Elects
  One of its members as mayor for a two-year term following each biennial election.
• Council Appoints
  City manager, board of adjustment, ecology commission, board of ethics, library board, parks and recreation commission, physical planning commission, economic development board, personnel board, utility advisory board, housing authority, and community school advisory committee.
• Manager Appoints
  City attorney, city clerk subject to confirmation by council; manager appoints department heads; personnel officer administers the city's personnel system which governs the majority of officers and employees.

Tacoma

• People Elect
  Mayor and eight councilmembers who constitute a nine-member council. Mayor serves a four-year term. Councilmembers-five elected to district positions, three elected at-large, all of which have four-year overlapping terms.
  
  Civil service board-three members elected at-large, one member appointed by city manager and director of the department of public utilities, one member elected by city employees.
• Council Appoints
  City manager.
• Mayor and Council Appoints
  Committees, boards and commissions.
• Manager Appoints
  City attorney, city clerk, and all department heads except library and utility director who are appointed by their respective boards subject to civil service provisions.

Vancouver

• People Elect
  Mayor for a two-year term, and six other councilmembers for four-year staggered terms.
• Council Appoints
  City manager.
• Mayor Appoints
  Civil service commission and Vancouver housing authority, without council approval. Aviation advisory committee, board of adjustment, building-fire codes board of appeals, parking commission, parks and recreation commission, planning commission, project review committee, and urban forestry commission, cable television commission, library board, international affairs commission, charter review, and mayor/city council salaries commission subject to council confirmation.
• Manager Appoints
  City attorney, subject to confirmation by council; other officers, department heads, and employees.

Yakima

• People Elect
  Seven councilmembers (four elected to district positions, three elected at-large), to serve four-year overlapping terms.
• Council Elects
  One of its members as mayor for two-year term following each biennial election.
• Council Appoints
  City manager, advisory boards, and commissions.
• Manager Appoints
  All department heads; other officers and employees, the majority of whom are subject to civil service merit system provisions.