Pateros is classified a code city. City ordinances can be found at Pateros Municipal Code. State ordinances can be found at the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).



Overview of City and Town Governments in Washington 
By Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC)

City and town governments in Washington are classified according to their population at the time of organization (usually incorporation) or reorganization. There are four classification types currently in use: first-class city, second-class city, code city, and towns, all of which have different powers under state law. 

In addition, each city selects a mayor-council or council-manager form of government that determines its governance structure. For more information, see our page City and Town Forms of Government.

Most Washington cities are classified as code cities under the Optional Municipal Code (Title 35A RCW). Created in 1967, the Optional Municipal Code provides an alternative to the basic statutory classification system of municipal government. It was designed to provide broad statutory home rule authority in matters of local concern.

Any unincorporated area having a population of at least 1,500 may incorporate as a code city, and any city or town may reorganize as a code city. Code cities with populations over 10,000 may also adopt a charter, but only one city (Kelso) has done so.

There are 197 code cities in Washington, with 147 operating under mayor-council and 50 under council-manager governance structure.

Mayor-council is the oldest and most common form of government in Washington, including small towns and large cities alike. However, while most cities in Washington use the mayor-council system, the vast majority of cities that have incorporated or successfully changed form of government since 1970 have adopted the council-manager system.

The basic structure and organization of mayor-council cities is set out in chapter 35A.12 RCW for code cities; also see chapter 35.22 RCW for first class cities, chapter 35.23 RCW for second class cities, and chapter 35.27 RCW for towns.

The mayor-council form consists of a mayor elected at-large, who serves as the city's chief administrative officer, and a separately elected council (elected either at-large or from districts) which serves as the municipality's legislative body. This separation of powers is based on the traditional federal and state models in the United States.

The council has the authority to formulate and adopt city policies and the mayor is responsible for carrying them out. The mayor attends and presides over council meetings but does not vote, except in the case of a tie.

The mayor also has veto authority over legislation (except for towns), but the veto can be overridden by the council as specified in the municipality's statutes or charter. (For more information, see our page on Council Voting.)

The mayor must be qualified to hold elective office, which includes being a resident and legally registered voter of that city (RCW 42.04.020 and RCW 42.12.010).

In all but the largest cities, elected mayors and councilmembers serve on a part-time basis, leaving most of the day-to-day operations to administrative personnel.

Nationally, mayor-council governments are often classified as either "strong mayor" or "weak mayor" types depending on the degree of executive authority that is concentrated in the mayor's office. However, by providing veto authority (except for towns), the Washington State legislature essentially provided for a strong mayor system.