State ex rel. Munroe v. City of Poulsbo

— This case requires us to determine when an elected public official’s resignation from office becomes final, thereby creating a vacancy and preventing the official from withdrawing the resignation. We hold that the amendment to RCW 42.12.010, which added language stating that a vacancy “shall be deemed to occur upon the effective date of the resignation,” changes the common-law rule set forth in State ex rel. Royse v. Superior Court, 46 Wash. 616, 91 R 4 (1907). No longer must the governing body accept a resignation before there is a vacancy; rather, a vacancy now occurs upon the…