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King County boards and commissions
What are boards and commissions?
King County has about 50 active boards and commissions. These allow more than 475 volunteers to advise the King County Executive and King County Council on policies and programs that affect residents.
Boards and commissions include informed local residents who lend professional expertise to advise County leadership. They act as the connection between citizen, County staff, and County elected officials.
Each board or commission has a staff liaison who handles its administrative work. This is usually a King County employee, who also serves as a link to County staff.
Learn more about our boards and commissions accomplishments in King County Executive's 2023 annual report.
Who can serve on a board or commission?
You must be a resident of King County to be eligible for an appointment to a King County board or commission, unless stated differently in the board or commissions enabling legislation.
For most boards and commissions, all that is required is an interest in the topic and in serving your community. Others, like the Board of Appeals and Equalization or the Washington State Boundary Review Board, require professional experience in related fields.
You can serve on more than 1 board or commission as you have the time available to devote to all.
Applications and appointments
You can apply for a position on a King County board or commission at any time. But, not all boards and commissions are always recruiting.
For most boards and commissions, the supporting department reviews applicants and makes recommendations to the King County Executive. The King County Executive makes the official appointments.
There are 7 boards and commissions that are made up of King County Council nominees. For these, each councilmember nominates at least one person to serve as their district representative.
Learn how to apply to a board or commission
Financial disclosures
Applicants do not have to make their personal finances public. However, anyone seeking an appointment to a King County board or commission must complete a King County Board of Ethics Financial Disclosure Form. This form does not ask for specific personal financial information. However, it does ask that you respond to 4 'yes' or 'no' questions regarding any possible financial transactions with King County or conflicts of interest.
What's involved in board or commission membership?
Members serve as volunteers
Most members are unpaid, with 2 exceptions: the Board of Appeals and Equalization and the Boundary Review Board. These boards are required to meet several times each week. Meetings are more than 6 to 8 hours per day and members are paid a per diem.
Term length and limits
The term length for most of our King County boards and commissions can be 2, 3, 4 or 5 years, depending on the board. King County Executive Policy (LES 7-1 (AEP), Section 6.4), limits board members from serving no more than 2 full terms on all King County boards and commissions, unless stated differently in the board or commission enabling legislation.
Meetings
Most boards and commissions meet once a month for 1 to 2 hours per meeting. Occasionally, some boards and commissions will also ask board members to volunteer to serve on a subcommittee that reports back to the entire board or commission. If you volunteer to serve on a subcommittee of the board or commission you were officially appointed to, you may be required to attend an additional monthly meeting.
The King County Council also convenes an annual reception for boards and commission members. This event usually occurs in February. All officially appointed board members receive an invitation sent to their preferred mailing address. The invitation is also sent electronically to the King County email address of each board member.