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PDC finds Buckley mayor William Burkett failed to disclose debt, imposes $1,000 fine
Summary
The commission found Mayor William Burkett failed to disclose principal debt on his 2023 F‑1 report, cited a disclosure threshold of $2,400 and ordered a $1,000 penalty (with $900 suspended) and required either payment or a staff‑approved payment plan within 30 days.
The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission found that William Burkett, mayor of the city of Buckley, violated state disclosure rules by failing to report principal debt on his personal financial affairs (F‑1) statement for calendar year 2023 and ordered a monetary penalty at the May 1 adjudicative hearing.
Tabitha Townsend, presenting the staff case, told the commission that the disclosure threshold for an F‑1 is $2,400 and that "the total debt that should be included on the F 1, for calendar year '23 is 13,850," an amount staff said should have been reported. Townsend also recounted a statement from Burkett, saying, "He stated that, he did not believe the debt was valid and therefore would not be including it on his f ones."
Chair Jay Robert Leach announced a finding of a violation of RCW 42.17A.710 and imposed a $1,000 penalty, suspending $900 on condition that Burkett either pay outstanding fines within 30 days or enter a written payment plan accepted by commission staff within 30 days. "I am going to impose a penalty of $1,000 I'm going to suspend $900 of that on the condition that the mayor either pay all outstanding fines within 30 days of the date of the written order or, alternatively, that he have entered into a written payment plan with the commission accepted by staff within that same 30 day period," Chair Leach said.
Staff also noted a Pierce County Superior Court order that had affirmed $11,000 in penalties in two related matters and referenced potential collection fees and interest; Hansen said the 12% annual interest on the earlier court‑affirmed penalties would not have accrued as of the date of the F‑1 filing and that additional collection information had not been available when the staff memo was issued. The commission added a condition to the order requiring Burkett to amend his F‑1 to include the debt and to include, on any F‑1 filed during the next four years, accurate statements of principal and accrued interest owed to the PDC when the aggregate obligations exceed $2,400.
The commission’s action leaves Burkett with the option to pay the unsuspended portion immediately or to seek a staff‑approved payment plan to avoid acceleration of collection actions.
