Information

Type: Deliberation

Department: BOCC - Board of County Commissioners

Directors' Update: June 25, 2025

Business Meeting: July 1, 2025

Summary:

Establish bond amounts for elected county officials

Publications:

Cover Letter To:

Additional Copies To:

Resolution

WHEREAS, RCW 36.16.050 requires each elected county official to furnish a bond conditioned that he or she will faithfully perform the duties of his or her office and account for and pay over all money which may come into his or her hands by virtue of his or her office, and that he or she, or his or her executors or administrators, will deliver to his or her successor safe and undefaced all books, records, papers, seals, equipment and furniture belonging to his or her office; and

WHEREAS, RCW 36.80.020 states every county road engineer shall give an official bond to the county in such amount as the board shall determine, conditioned upon the fact that he or she will faithfully perform all the duties of his or her employment and account for all property of the county entrusted to his or her care; and

WHEREAS, RCW 42.08.100 indicates the official bonds of all county officers shall be approved by the board of county commissioners, if in session, and if not in session, by the chair of such board, and filed and recorded in the office of the county clerk of their respective counties: PROVIDED that the bond of the county clerk shall be recorded in the office of the county auditor and filed in the office of the county treasurer; and

WHEREAS, RCW 36.16.050 establishes the following parameters for bonds for Lewis County's elective county officers

• Assessor: Amount to be fixed by proper county legislative authority.
• Auditor: Amount to be fixed at not less than $10,000.
• Clerk: Amount to be fixed in a penal sum not less than double the amount of money liable to come into his or her hands and sureties to be approved by the judge or a majority of the judges presiding over the court of which he or she is clerk: PROVIDED, That the maximum bond fixed for the clerk shall not exceed in amount that required for the treasurer in the same county.
• Coroner: Amount to be fixed at not less than $5,000.
• Members of the proper county legislative authority (Commissioners): $22,500.
• Prosecuting Attorney: $5,000.
• Sheriff: Amount to be fixed at not less than $5,000 nor more than $50,000.
• Treasurer: Amounts to be fixed by the proper county legislative authority at double the amount liable to come into the treasurer's hands during his or her term, the maximum amount of the bond, however, not to exceed $150,000.

WHEREAS, the BOCC wishes to establish bonds of elective county officers as follows:

• Assessor: $5,000.
• Auditor: $50,000.
• Clerk: $150,000.
• Coroner: $5,000.
• Commissioners: $22,500.
• Prosecuting Attorney: $5,000.
• Sheriff: $10,000.
• Treasurer: $150,000.

WHEREAS, the BOCC also wishes to establish the bond for the appointed position of County Engineer.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Board of County Commissioners hereby rescinds and replaces any previous actions establishing bond amounts for the positions of Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Coroner, Commissioner, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff and Treasurer - as well as the appointed position of County Engineer - and hereby sets the bond amounts for those positions as follows:

POSITION	BOND AMOUNT
Assessor	$5,000
Auditor	$50,000
Clerk	$150,000
Coroner	$5,000
Commissioners	$22,500
Prosecuting Attorney	$5,000
Sheriff	$10,000
Treasurer	$150,000
County Engineer	$10,000

 ; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the BOCC hereby approves of the official bonds for the current office-holders of all of the positions listed above retroactively as follows:

• Assessor Ross Nielson: December 31, 2022
• Auditor Larry Grove: December 31, 2014
• Clerk Scott Tinney: November 13, 2016
• Coroner Warren McLeod: Dec. 31, 2010
• Commissioner Scott J. Brummer: November 28, 2022
• Commissioner Lindsey Pollock: December 31, 2020
• Commissioner Sean Swope: December 31, 2020
• Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer: December 31, 2010
• Sheriff Rob Snaza: December 31, 2014
• Treasurer Arny Davis: December 31, 2014
• County Engineer Geoff Soderquist: October 23, 2023

DONE IN OPEN SESSION this 1st day of July, 2025.