(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, membership of this retirement system shall be composed of the following groups of employees in any participating city or cities:

(a) Miscellaneous personnel as defined in this chapter;

(b) Uniformed personnel as defined in this chapter;

(c) Elective officials, who shall have the right to membership in this retirement system upon filing written notice of such election with the board of trustees;

(d) Employees of the retirement system itself shall be entitled to membership and any costs in connection with such membership shall be a part of the cost of administration;

(e) Employees of any state association of cities and towns shall be entitled to membership, upon election to participate made by the board of directors pursuant to RCW 41.44.050, and any costs in connection with such membership which would be borne by a city in the case of employees of a city shall be borne by the association.

(2) Any city may, when electing to participate in this retirement system in the manner set forth in RCW 41.44.050, include any one group or combination of the groups mentioned in subsection (1) of this section. For an initial period not to exceed one year from the effective date of any city's entry into this system, if so provided at the time of its election to participate, only a majority of the employees of any group or combination of groups must be members of the system.

At all times subsequent to the effective date of the city's entry into this system, or at all times after expiration of such initial period, if such initial period is established at the time of the city's election to participate, all employees of any group or combination of groups must be included or excluded as members of this system. Groups (c) and (d) shall be considered as being composed of miscellaneous personnel as far as benefits and obligations are concerned except when the contrary is clearly indicated.

(3) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, membership in the retirement system shall be compulsory for all employees in groups (a) and (b), after qualification as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, all employees in city service, on the effective date, or on June 9, 1949, or on expiration of the initial period therein provided if they have completed six consecutive months' service or six months' service in any calendar year prior to the expiration of such initial period, shall be members of the system, provided that such employees who are not regular full time employees and are earning less than one hundred dollars per month, or are part time employees serving in an official or special capacity may with the acquiescence of the legislative body of the city or town in which they are employed, elect on or before January 1, 1950, to discontinue membership by giving written notice of such election to the board. All other regular employees earning more than one hundred dollars per month shall become members upon the completion of six consecutive months' service or six months' service in any calendar year. Any employee otherwise eligible, employed in a permanent position, may elect in writing to become a member of the system at any time during the initial period, or at any time prior to completing such six months' service. Such individual employees other than regular employees, who are earning less than one hundred dollars per month or who are serving in an official or special capacity may elect to become members with the acquiescence of the legislative body of the city or town in which they are employed upon the completion of six months of consecutive service or six months' service in any calendar year.

(5) It shall be the duty of the proper persons in each city to immediately report to the board routine changes in the status of personnel and to immediately furnish such other information regarding the employment of members as the board may from time to time require.

(6) Should any member withdraw more than one-quarter of his or her accumulated contributions, or should he or she die or be retired, he or she shall thereupon cease to be a member.

(7) Transfer of any employee from one city to another shall not cause the employee to lose membership in the system providing the city to which he or she transfers participates in the retirement system created herein.

Severability—1971 ex.s. c 271: See note following RCW 41.32.260.