Washington County Commissions Can Set Commissioner Salaries, Amendment 57 (1972)

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Amendments

State of Washington Constitutional Amendment 57 was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment to the Washington State Constitution. It was on the November 7, 1972 ballot in the State of Washington, where it was approved.

Amendment 57 amended both Article XI, Section 5 and Article XI, Section 8 of the Washington State Constitution.

Election results

Amendment 57
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		658,095	53.96%
No		561,607	46.04%

It was the 57th amendment approved to the Washington State Constitution subsequent to its adoption in 1889.

Text of measure

The ballot question was, "Shall the state constitution be amended to allow the legislature to authorize boards of county commissioners and other county legislative authorities to set their own salaries and those of all other county officers, subject to the existing prohibition against mid-term pay increases for those officers who fix their own compensation?"

Before Amendment 57

Prior to the enactment of Amendment 57, Section 5 of Article XI said:

COUNTY GOVERNMENT -- The legislature, by general and uniform laws, shall provide for the election in the several counties of boards of county commissioners, sheriffs, county clerks, treasurers, prosecuting attorneys and other county, township or precinct and district officers, as public convenience may require, and shall prescribe their duties, and fix their terms of office: Provided, That the legislature may, by general laws, classify the counties by population and provide for the election in certain classes of counties certain officers who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of two or more officers. It shall regulate the compensation of all such officers, in proportion to their duties, and for that purpose may classify the counties by population. And it shall provide for the strict accountability of such officers for all fees which may be collected by them and for all public moneys which may be paid to them, or officially come into their possession.

After Amendment 57

After the enactment of Amendment 57, Section 5 of Article XI said:

"The legislature, by general and uniform laws, shall provide for the election in the several counties of boards of county commissioners, sheriffs, county clerks, treasurers, prosecuting attorneys and other county, township or precinct and district officers, as public convenience may require, and shall prescribe their duties, and fix their terms of office: Provided, That the legislature may, by general laws, classify the counties by population and provide for the election in certain classes of counties certain officers who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of two or more officers. It shall regulate the compensation of all such officers, in proportion to their duties, and for that purpose may classify the counties by population: Provided, That it may delegate to the legislative authority of the counties the right to prescribe the salaries of its own members and the salaries of other county officers. And it shall provide for the strict accountability of such officers for all fees which may be collected by them and for all public moneys which may be paid to them, or officially come into their possession."

See also

• Washington County Officials Related to County Population, Amendment 12 (1924)
• Washington 1972 ballot measures
• 1972 ballot measures
• List of Washington ballot measures
• List of ballot measures by year
• List of ballot measures by state

Suggest a link

External links

• Washington 1972 ballot measure election results
• Washington State Constitution
• 1972 Washington Voter Guide

References

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