Conservation District Supervisors, Associate Supervisors & Employees
The state Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers, RCW 42.23.030 prohibits municipal officers from having a beneficial interest in most contracts made by, through, or under their supervision. This would typically apply to conservation district supervisors participating in cost share and financial assistance programs, but RCW 89.08.220 provides an exemption that states:
…land occupiers who are also district supervisors are not subject to the provisions of RCW 42.23.030…
However, there is not an exemption in place for associate supervisors and employees, whom can also be considered municipal officers. This district operations brief highlights some legal and policy issues that districts should carefully consider when developing a district policy on cost share and financial assistance programs pertaining to supervisors, associate supervisors, and employees.
