If an incorporated city or town with an established library is annexed to a rural partial-county library district, what happens to the city/town library board of trustees?

Modified on 2020/11/12 15:43 by Jeremy Stroud — Categorized as: Establishment, FAQ

An informal AGO Opinion issued 12/15/1994, signed by Assistant Attorney General Jean M. Wilkinson and addressed to Mary Y. Moore, states:

“When a rural county library district annexes a municipal library, the municipal library becomes ‘a part’ of the rural county library district. By operation of RCW 27.12.470, annexation by a rural partial-county library district has the same effect: the municipal library becomes ‘a part’ of the rural partial-county library district. In other words the municipal library ceases to exist as an independent entity. There is therefore no independent municipal library to be governed by the city or town board of library trustees… I know of no statutory reason for the city/town board of trustees to remain in existence. However, there is nothing to preclude a former municipal library trustee from appointment to the rural partial-county library district's board of trustees at such time as a vacancy exists.”