EXECUTIVE RECRUITING

SEA-MC tit. 4, ch. 4.14

in effect

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.100 Payment for travel expenses.

4.14.100 - Payment for travel expenses. When the appointing authority of an employing unit deems it necessary for the successful recruitment of qualified persons for key positions, he or she may, upon the approval of the Director of Finance and Administrative Services and the filing of a claim therefor, authorize payment of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by applicants from out of the City for traveling to and from Seattle for the purpose of being interviewed for employment by the City in that unit. All authorized travel expenses are subject to the rules, policies, and procedures established by the Director of Finance and Administrative Services. Payment of authorized expenses may be made in advance by the employing unit for the applicant(s), or the applicant(s) may be reimbursed for authorized expenses paid out of pocket. Authorized expenses shall include lodging, meals, incidentals, and transportation from such applicant's place of residence to Seattle and return to such place of residence, or mileage in accordance with the mileage reimbursement rate established in Chapter 4.70; provided that, payment for mileage shall not exceed the round-trip airfare of a common carrier. No payment shall be authorized for expenses deemed disallowable pursuant to rules, policies, and procedures established by the Director of Finance and Administrative Services. (Ord. 123361, § 75, 2010; Ord. 120794 § 50, 2002: Ord. 120181 § 75, 2000: Ord. 119578 § 12, 1999; Ord. 117258, § 1(part), 1994.)

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.110 Eligibility for payment of travel expenses.

4.14.110 - Eligibility for payment of travel expenses. The appointing authority may approve payment of travel expenses for applicants for positions which meet the following criteria: A. Positions identified in the Salary Ordinance (Ordinance 97330 as amended) [9] by salary range 40.0 and above, or a salary equivalent to the top step of range 40.0 and above when no range is provided; or B. Positions under salary range 40.0, or the equivalent thereto, for which the employing unit is unable to successfully recruit qualified candidates in the immediate employment area because the position qualifications are rare in the general population; or C. All positions assigned to the Accountability Pay for Executives Program, the Manager Compensation Program, or the Strategic Advisor Program. (Ord. 118778 § 1, 1997; Ord. 117258, § 1(part), 1994.)

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.120 Claims for payment of travel expenses.

4.14.120 - Claims for payment of travel expenses. Authorized claims for payment of expenses other than for mileage and incidentals shall be submitted to the Director of Finance and Administrative Services by the employing unit in accordance with that Director's rules, policies, and procedures. (Ord. 123361, § 76, 2010; Ord. 120794 § 51, 2002: Ord. 119578 § 13, 1999: Ord. 117258, § 1(part), 1994.)

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.130 Funds for payment of authorized expenses.

4.14.130 - Funds for payment of authorized expenses. To provide for the payment of expenses as authorized in Section 4.14.110, the employing unit authorized to fill the position for which the applicants were interviewed is authorized to use unexpended and unencumbered budgeted funds available therefor. (Ord. 117258, § 1(part), 1994.)

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.140 Payment of moving expenses for certain employees

4.14.140 - Payment of moving expenses for certain employees A. If necessary to obtain the services of a particular individual, the following persons may have moving expenses, incurred by them in relocating to the City (from a distance consistent with the Internal Revenue Service Distance Test for moving expense deductions), reimbursed or advanced by the City upon presentation of verifying documents and upon the additional conditions set forth below: 1. Department, office, and agency heads appointed by the Mayor, upon confirmation by the City Council of such appointments, when payment or reimbursement is authorized by the Mayor; 2. Executive Director of the Legislative Department or comparable position(s), upon appointment by the City Council, when such payment or reimbursement is authorized by the President of the City Council; 3. The following positions, when authorized by the head of the employing unit and the Seattle Human Resources Director, and when conditions specified by the administrative guidelines issued by the Seattle Human Resources Director are met: a. Positions with salary range 400 and above, or a salary equivalent to or higher than the top step of range 400 when no range is given, or b. Positions under salary range 400, or the equivalent thereto, for which the employing unit was unable to recruit persons in the immediate employment area who possess the unique skills, expertise, and/or educational qualifications therefor, or c. Positions assigned to the Accountability Pay for Executives Program, the Manager Compensation Program, or the Strategic Advisor Compensation Program, that do not otherwise meet any of the eligibility criteria in this Section 4.14.140. B. The appointing authority and the employee for whom moving expenses have been authorized must stipulate in writing that, if the individual leaves the employing unit which paid the moving expenses within 12 months of initial appointment, the individual shall reimburse the employing unit for such expenses. If the employee moves from one City department to another within 12 months, the City department that makes the subsequent job offer may instead make the reimbursement payment to the City department that paid the moving expenses. (Ord. 126615, § 1, 2022; Ord. 124567, § 30, 2014 [department head name change]; Ord. 122479, § 1, 2007; Ord. 118778, § 2, 1997; Ord. 117258, § 1, 1994.)

Seattle Mun. Code § 4.14.150 Moving expenses defined

4.14.150 - Moving expenses defined For purposes of implementing this Chapter 4.14, the phrase "moving expenses" includes expenses incurred for transportation to Seattle to secure housing, as well as food and lodging expenses for a period not to exceed five days, incurred while engaged in securing housing. In addition, moving expenses shall include all lodging, food, and transportation expenses of family and household goods and personal effects that are incurred solely for the purpose of relocating, from departure of such family and goods from place of current residence until the time that family and possessions arrive in the City, unless such expenses have been otherwise reimbursed; provided, that nothing in this Section 4.14.150 shall prohibit the payment of other types of moving and related expenses as approved by the appointing authority but in no case shall moving expenses in total exceed the maximum as provided for in subsection 4.14.150.A. A. Effective January 1, 1994, the authorized maximum rate for moving expenses as defined in this Section 4.14.150 shall be $11,908. The authorized maximum rate shall be adjusted each year by the percentage change in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), All Items (or successor index) for the 12 month period ending the previous June 30th, rounded to the nearest dollar. The revised maximum shall take effect January 1 each year. B. Payment for such reimbursement, when authorized, shall be made from unexpended and unencumbered balances accumulating in the budgets of the employing units which eligible persons head or in which such persons serve, and the Director of Finance and Administrative Services is authorized to pay the necessary warrants. If the applicable fund is solvent at the time payment is ordered, the Director of Finance and Administrative Services may elect to make payment by check. C. The appointing authority shall transact an agreement with an individual for whom travel and moving expenses are extended, which shall stipulate that, should such individual leave the City's employ within 12 months of initial appointment to a position, he or she shall reimburse the employing unit for all such expenses. D. The appointing authority shall report all moving expense authorizations to the Seattle Human Resources Director. The Seattle Human Resources Director shall provide a summary report to the City Council annually demonstrating how department authorization for moving expenses met the administrative guidelines. (Ord. 126615, § 2, 2022; Ord. 124567, § 31, 2014 [department head name change]; Ord. 123361, § 77, 2010; Ord. 120794, § 52, 2002 [department head name change]; Ord. 120114, § 7, 2000; Ord. 118324, § 1, 1996; Ord. 117258, § 1, 1994.)

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_CH4.14EXREFetched: 11/1/2026