Ritzville, Washington:

Our Government

Structure

At the State level, Washington has nine officials elected Statewide, whose duties are listed on the State's website. A list of the positions with links to web pages about each office and its incumbent appears on the State's comprehensive website. Washington, like almost all States, has a bicameral legislature. The State Senator for this State Legislative District, the 9th, is Larry Sheahan, Republican; the State Representatives are Mark Schoesler, Republican, the House Republican Whip, and Don Cox, Republican.

At the County level, Ritzville lies in Adams County, of which it is the County seat. Adams, like most Washington Counties, is governed by a Board of Commissioners, in this case a three-person board. The incumbents are Rudy Plager, Chairman; Richard Johnson, Vice-Chairman; and Jeffrey W. Stevens.

At the local level, Ritzville is an incorporated City of Washington State, and--as mentioned--the County seat of Adams County. It is governed by an elected mayor and a seven-member city council; the current mayor is Craig Ulleland.

Taxation

      Income Tax

      Retail Sales Tax

The combined state and local retail-sales tax rate in Adams County is 7.6%. (Statewide, that rate ranges from 7.0 to 8.8 percent, depending on locality; in the City of Spokane, for example, it is 8.1%).

      Excise Taxes

A sale of real property in Washington is generally subject to a real-estate excise tax, which is imposed on the seller of the property. If, however, you purchase land and have a house constructed on it, only the land would be subject to the real-estate excise tax (while the labor and materials for the house would be subject to the retail-sales tax).

Boats over 16 feet in length are subject to a watercraft excise tax if not used in a business. (Boats used in a business are subject to the personal-property tax.)

      Business & Occupation Tax and Public Utility Tax

For the Business & Occupation Tax, the rates for the commonest business activities are: retailing, 0.471%; manufacturing or wholesaling, 0.484%; and services, 1.500%. (The Public Utility Tax, as its name suggests, applies only to public utilities.)

      Property Tax

Washington does not impose any tax on intangible assets such as bank accounts, stocks, or bonds.

      Vehicle-Licensing Fee

      Estate Tax

Governmental Services

Adams County offers many services and offices, which can be found listed on the County website. Adams County offices located in Ritzville include the:

• Assessor's Office
• Auditor's Office (which performs many functions, such as licensing automobiles and registering voters)
• Board of Equalization
• WSU (Washington State University) Co-operative Extension
• Community Counseling (social services)
• Health District
• Public Works Department
• Sheriff
• Superior Court Clerk
• Treasurer (with a searchable property database and facility for paying property taxes online)

In addition, the City of Ritzville provides a police department, a fire department, and a public library.

The Ritzville School District includes an elementary school (shown on the right) and a high school. The District pupils' scores on standardized tests (both the WASL and others) compare quite favorably with Statewide and with national results.

Ritzville is home to the East Adams Rural Hospital, a financially healthy hospital, and an associated medical clinic.

Courts sitting in Ritzville include a State Superior Court and a District Court.

(A much fuller description of Ritzville's facilities and amenities, including more than just those provided by government, is described elsewhere on this site.)