County Newspaper Policy

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In March of both 2014 and 2015, the Board of County Councilors named The Reflector Clark County’s newspaper of record.

Qualifications of a legal newspaper
As outlined in RCW 65.16.020, a legal newspaper shall:

  • Have been published regularly, at least once a week, in the English language, as a newspaper of general circulation, in the city or town where the same is published at the time of application for approval, for at least six months prior to the date of application.
  • Be compiled either in whole or in part in an office maintained at the place of publication.
  • Contain news of general interest as contrasted with news of interest primarily to an organization, group or class.
  • Have a policy to print all statutorily required legal notices.
  • Hold a periodical class mailing permit.

Selection process
A county legislative authority must select an official county newspaper no later than its first meeting in April of each year. If two or more legal newspapers are qualified, the contract must be competitively bid following the process outlined in RCW 36.72.075.

The county legislative authority shall let the contract to the best and lowest responsible bidder, giving consideration to the question of circulation, with a view to giving notices the widest publicity.