Statements of financial interests.
Seattle Mun. Code § 4.16.080
in effect4.16.080 - Statements of financial interests.
A. Officers and Employees Subject to RCW 42.17.240. Every officer or employee of the City subject to the reporting requirements of RCW 42.17.240 shall file a duplicate copy of the report required to be filed under SMC Section 2.04.165 with the Ethics and Elections Commission (the Commission) at the same time the original report is required to be filed with the Public Disclosure Commission.
B. Officers and Employees Not Subject to RCW 42.17.240—Reporting Person—Reporting Requirement.
1. The Commission shall adopt by rule a list of the City officers and employees, identified by job title, pocket number, position description, or other means that provide adequate specificity, who shall file a statement of financial interests with the Commission. The list may be amended by rule from time to time, and shall include: (a) every head of a City department and every division manager reporting directly to the head of a City department; (b) every Assistant City Attorney; (c) each Deputy Mayor and each other member of the Mayor's staff with authority to direct the expenditure of City resources; (d) the City Clerk, City Auditor, and every employee in the City Auditor's office who conducts or supervises the conduct of audits; (e) employees identified by department heads as having had decision-making authority over the preceding one (1) year period for (i) the purchase of goods or (ii) the purchase of equipment or (iii) the negotiation of contracts or (iv) the execution of contracts, the purchases or contracts having a total value of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) or more; (f) each employee who supervises, directly or through others, an employee listed pursuant to subsection B1e of this section; and (g) every member of a City committee, City board, or City commission, that administers, interprets or executes City ordinances, whether a member is paid or unpaid. Each head of a City department shall identify the employees within that department fitting the categories in this subsection in accordance with procedures adopted by the Commission.
2. Each person listed or described on the then-current list of the Commission adopted under this section and each person taking on the duties or assuming the position of such a person (a reporting person) shall file a statement of financial interests within two (2) weeks of employment or appointment; and in addition, after January 1st and before April 15th of each year. The statement shall be for the preceding calendar year.
3. Each statement of financial interests filed under this section shall provide complete information with respect to the reporting person and each member of the immediate family of the reporting person.
For the purposes of this section 4.16.080, "immediate family" means:
a. a spouse or domestic partner, or
b. a parent, parent of a spouse or domestic partner, child, child of spouse or domestic partner, sibling, uncle, aunt, cousin, niece or nephew, if that person either resides with or is a dependent on the Covered Individual's most recently filed federal income tax return.
4. Each statement of financial interests filed under this section shall be sworn as to its truth and accuracy.
C. Officers and Employees Not Subject to RCW 42.17.240—Contents of the Statement of Financial Interests Required by Section 4.16.080 B.
1. Every head or listed division manager of a City department, every Assistant City Attorney, the employees designated in subsection B1c of this section in the Office of the Mayor and the employees designated in subsections B1d, e, and f of this section shall file with the Commission the information required in subsections C3a-d of this section.
2. Every member of a City committee, City board, or City commission, that administers, interprets or executes City laws, whether a member is paid or unpaid, shall file with the Commission the information required in subsections C3a-c of this section. In addition, every member of the Landmarks Preservation Board and every member of a special review district shall file with the Commission the information required in subsections C3a-d of this section.
3. The financial interests statement shall contain the following information:
a. The name and address of each person engaged in any transaction or activity with the City, excluding the purchase of utilities, from whom the reporting person, or a member of the reporting person's immediate family, has received compensation in any form of a total value of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500) or more, excluding campaign contributions reported in accordance with applicable law, and the name of each City agency involved in the transaction or activity, if known;
b. The name and address of each person engaging in any transaction or activity with the City, excluding the purchase of utilities, in which the reporting person or a member of the reporting person's immediate family held a direct financial interest with a value of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) or more; provided that policies of insurance and amounts on deposit in accounts with banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions shall not constitute a direct financial interest within the meaning of this section, and the name of each involved City agency, if known;
c. If a reporting person or a member of his or her immediate family holds a position in an entity engaged in any transaction with the City, the name of the person holding office and the title of office, directorship, or trusteeship held. The reporting person shall include the name and address of the entity and, if known, the name of each City agency with which the entity was involved. The reporting person may exclude an entity whose only transactions with the City consist of the purchase of utilities.
d. A list, including either addresses or legal descriptions of all real property in the City in which the reporting person or a member of the reporting person's immediate family held a direct financial interest; and if the facilities and properties of a City agency which employs the reporting person extend beyond the City limits, the list shall include all real property located within the county or counties within which such City agency has property or facilities, except that a member of a special review district need only report as to property within the district. No property shall be identified on the statement as being the home or personal residence of the reporting person.
D. Officers and Employees Not Subject to RCW 42.17.240—Suspension or Modification of Reporting Requirements. After hearing, the Commission may by order suspend or modify a reporting requirement in a particular case if it finds that literal application of the requirement would cause a manifestly unreasonable hardship and that such suspension or modification will not frustrate the purposes of this chapter.
(Ord. 123264, § 2, 2010; Ord. 119442 § 3, 1999; Ord. 117056, § 1, 1994; Ord. 109950, § 1, 1981: Ord. 108882 § 4.16.080, 1980.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT4PE_CH4.16COET_4.16.080STFIINFetched: 11/1/2026