A vacancy on an elected nonpartisan governing body of a qualifying special purpose district, a town, or a city other than a first-class city or a charter code city, shall be filled as follows unless the provisions of law relating to the qualifying special purpose district, town, or city provide otherwise:
(1) Where one position is vacant, the remaining members of the governing body shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacant position.(2) Where two or more positions are vacant and two or more members of the governing body remain in office, the remaining members of the governing body shall appoint a qualified person to fill one of the vacant positions, the remaining members of the governing body and the newly appointed person shall appoint another qualified person to fill another vacant position, and so on until each of the vacant positions is filled with each of the new appointees participating in each appointment that is made after his or her appointment.(3) If less than two members of a governing body remain in office, the county legislative authority of the county in which all or the largest geographic portion of the city, town, or qualifying special purpose district is located shall appoint a qualified person or persons to the governing body until the governing body has two members.(4) If a governing body fails to appoint a qualified person to fill a vacancy within ninety days of the occurrence of the vacancy, the authority of the governing body to fill the vacancy shall cease and the county legislative authority of the county in which all or the largest geographic portion of the city, town, or qualifying special purpose district is located shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy.(5) If the county legislative authority of the county fails to appoint a qualified person within one hundred eighty days of the occurrence of the vacancy, the county legislative authority or the remaining members of the governing body of the city, town, or qualifying special purpose district may petition the governor to appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy. The governor may appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy after being petitioned if at the time the governor fills the vacancy the county legislative authority has not appointed a qualified person to fill the vacancy.(6) As provided in chapter 29A.24 RCW, each person who is appointed shall serve until a qualified person is elected at the next election at which a member of the governing body normally would be elected. The person elected shall take office immediately and serve the remainder of the unexpired term.(7) For purposes of this section, "qualifying special purpose district" means a fire protection district created under chapter 52.02 RCW with assessed values under $5,000,000,000 and a regional fire protection service authority created under chapter 52.26 RCW with assessed values under $5,000,000,000.Amended by 2023 c 369,§ 1, eff. 7/23/2023.Amended by 2013 c 11,§ 89, eff. 7/28/2013.Amended by 2011 c 349,§ 28, eff. 5/16/2011.Effective date- 2011 c 349 s s 10 - 12, 27, 28, and 30: See note following RCW 29A.24.171.