(1) To receive, investigate, and make recommendations to the council and appropriate county agencies on complaints concerning the operation of county government and to respond to inquiries from the public concerning the operation of county government;

(2) To determine the methods by which complaints are made, received, and acted upon;

(3) To determine whether the public advocate may investigate a complaint without regard to the finality of the administrative act;

(4) To determine the scope and manner of investigations of complaints;

(5) To determine the form, frequency, and distribution of the public advocate’s conclusions and recommendations;

(6) To make such inquiries and obtain such assistance and information from any agency as the public advocate shall require for the discharge of the public advocate’s duties;

(7) To keep confidential any complaint or investigative information, subject to applicable law;

(8) To employ legal counsel as allowed by the laws of the state of Washington and the county charter;

(9) To adopt, promulgate and amend policies and procedures required for the discharge of the public advocate’s duties, including the procedures for receiving and processing complaints, conducting investigations, and reporting findings, conclusions, and recommendations;

(10) To prepare and submit to the executive annual budget estimates for the office as provided in SCC 4.26.030;

(11) To delegate functions, powers and duties, except this power of delegation, to other officers and employees of the office as the public advocate deems expedient to further the purposes of this chapter;

(12) To make and publish conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions; and

(13) To monitor and report to the council on the nature and disposition of whistleblower, ethics and human rights complaints filed pursuant to other county ordinances or procedures.

The public advocate shall exercise his or her powers under this chapter consistent with contractual obligations of the county and applicable law. (Added by Amended Ord. 14-077, Oct. 8, 2014, Eff date Oct. 30, 2014; Amended by Ord. 17-024, May 17, 2017, Eff date June 1, 2017).