(1) The affairs of the district shall be managed by a board of fire commissioners composed initially of three registered voters residing in the district, except as provided otherwise in RCW 52.14.015, 52.14.020, and 52.14.140.

(2)(a) Each member of an elected board of fire commissioners shall each receive one hundred four dollars per day or portion thereof, not to exceed nine thousand nine hundred eighty-four dollars per year, for time spent in actual attendance at official meetings of the board or in performance of other services or duties on behalf of the district, except that a commissioner of a district which has an operating budget of $10,000,000 or more may receive not more than 144 per diem payments at the per diem rate specified by the office of financial management, adjusted for inflation per subsection (4) of this section. Members serving in an ex officio capacity on a board of fire commissioners may not receive compensation, but shall receive necessary expenses in accordance with (b) of this subsection.

(b) Each member of a board of fire commissioners shall receive necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the board or when otherwise engaged in district business, and shall be entitled to receive the same insurance available to all firefighters of the district: PROVIDED, That the premiums for such insurance, except liability insurance, shall be paid by the individual commissioners who elect to receive it.

(c) Any commissioner may waive all or any portion of his or her compensation payable under this section as to any month or months during his or her term of office, by a written waiver filed with the secretary as provided in this section. The waiver, to be effective, must be filed any time after the commissioner's election and prior to the date on which the compensation would otherwise be paid. The waiver shall specify the month or period of months for which it is made.

(3) The board shall fix the compensation to be paid the secretary and all other agents and employees of the district. The board may, by resolution adopted by unanimous vote, authorize any of its members to serve as volunteer firefighters without compensation. A commissioner actually serving as a volunteer firefighter may enjoy the rights and benefits of a volunteer firefighter.

(4) The dollar thresholds established in this section must be adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management every five years, beginning January 1, 2019, based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, for Washington state, for wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, United States department of labor. If the bureau of labor and statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation in this section. The office of financial management must calculate the new dollar threshold and transmit it to the office of the code reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one month before the new dollar threshold is to take effect.

(5) A person holding office as commissioner for two or more special purpose districts or serving ex officio as commissioner as a member of the legislative authority of a city or town shall receive only that per diem compensation authorized for one of his or her official positions as compensation for attending an official meeting or conducting official services or duties while representing more than one district or representing a municipality and a district. However, such commissioner may receive additional per diem compensation if approved by resolution of the boards of an affected commission, city, or town.

Purpose—1979 ex.s. c 126: See RCW 29A.60.280(1).

Terms of commissioners: RCW 52.14.060.