The Office of the City Attorney provides quality legal services for the City of Bremerton, oversees the prosecution of all criminal violations of the Bremerton Municipal Code, and provides legal advice and training to the Mayor, City Council, and all departments of the city.

Responsibilities & Objectives

Duties are set forth in the City Charter (PDF), which provides that the City Attorney shall be the sole and exclusive legal advisor of the city, City Council and all city commissions, committees, officers and employees. It furnishes the legal support for all full service municipal operations, including departments of police, fire, public works and utilities, community development, and financial services.

The Office of the City Attorney does not represent individual citizens of the city in private matters. Citizens should consult with a private attorney regarding all private matters.

Civil Division

The Civil Division handles all civil matters on behalf of the city. The major duties of the division includes:

• Reviewing, drafting and negotiating contracts to which the city is a party
• Drafting and reviewing proposed legislative enactments of the City Council, i.e, ordinances, resolutions and proclamations
• Representing the city in all litigation to which the city is a party before judicial and administrative bodies including, but not limited to actions involving personal injury and property damage, constitutional issues, land use issues, code enforcement issues, employment and labor issues, breach of contract, and real estate issues
• Providing both formal (in the form of written legal opinions) and informal legal advice to the Mayor, City Council and departments of the city

Criminal Division

 All misdemeanor violations of the Bremerton Municipal Code are prosecuted by the Office of the City Attorney. 

Offices Reporting to the Office of the City Attorney

City Clerk, Human Resources and Risk Management report to the Office of the City Attorney.