The City of Washington operates under a Mayor/Council form of government.
The Mayor and Council members are elected for staggered, four year terms. Four of the Council members are elected from geographic wards, and two are elected at-large. Below are listed your Council representatives and when their terms expire.
Jaron Rosien was elected Mayor of Washington in November of 2017 was sworn in as Mayor January 1, 2018. Jaron had previously served one term on the city council representing the Fourth Ward before deciding to run for mayor when Sandra Johnson chose not to run for re-election.  Jaron may be reached via email at jrosien@washingtoniowa.gov He will meet with individuals by appointment. Jaron may be reached at 319-653-6584.
Mayor Rosien represents the City of Washington on the County Emergency Management Board; County Communications Board; the E911 Board; and the SEMCO Landfill Board.
Duties + Responsibilities of the Building & Zoning Division
- Code enforcement and nuisance abatement: If you have concerns, want to report a nuisance, or have questions about a property in Washington, please contact the Code Enforcement Officer at City Hall (319-653-6584) or visit: https://washingtoniowa.gov/city-government/development-services/nuisance-abatement
- To assist property owners and contractors with building codes within the city
- Examine blueprints and inspect construction for new buildings, renovation of existing building and to insure all code requirements are met for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, building, ADA and fire standards
- Review permit requests
- Assist property owners with re-zone and variance requests
- Review subdivision plats and to insure city code is followed
- Make recommendations to the appropriate boards and commissions
- Serve as secretary for the Planning & Zoning Commission
- Rental Inspections
Duties + Responsibilities of the Engineering/Safety Division
- Perform inspections & planning work for public works projects
- Maintain geographic information systems
- Perform technical engineering fieldwork
- Act as ADA Coordinator for City
- Oversee & direct City safety programming under oversight of City Administrator
- Building (Construction of new buildings, room additions, garages, porches, fences & decks)
- Electrical (New wiring, adding any additional wiring to existing building, new services or upgrades)
- Plumbing (New piping or fixtures added to a structure)
- Mechanical (New mechanical units added or installed)
- Excavation (Work done in the city right of way such as driveways, sidewalks, etc.)
- Demolition (Demolition of any structure within City limits)
- Sewer Taps (Connecting any structure to the City sanitary sewer)
- Water Taps (Connecting any structure to the City water system)
Please contact the Development Services Department for questions about permit fees.
Process of Obtaining Permits
- It is the responsibility of the contractor to make sure a permit has been pulled for the job.
- It is the responsibility of the permitted to call for inspections. All work must be inspected before work is covered up.
- Work must be performed by a State of Iowa Licensed Contractor and employees must be licensed by the State of Iowa or the City of Washington, IA.
- A penalty fee may be charged for failing to pull a permit before the job is started. If the job is an emergency, call the inspector or building official and explain the situation. The City wants to be as helpful as possible in this matter and we realize that emergencies happen.
- Permits are non-transferable. All work must be done by the permitted or his licensed employees.
- The permit will expire one year after approval date.
- The permit becomes null and void if the work or construction authorized has not commenced within 90 days or if construction/work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 90 days at any time after work has commenced.
- No permit fee shall be waived, except for buildings owned and used by the City of Washington. Waiver of permit fees shall require a resolution by the City Council of Washington, IA.
Rental Property Inspection
The City of Washington has implemented a regular registration and inspection program for residential rental properties within the city limits. Owners of residential rental properties are required to register their properties annually by MAY 1. Registration forms, informational flyers and miscellaneous information can be picked up at City Hall or by clicking on a link below.
Properties will be inspected on a rotating basis, with each property being inspected every 3 years. The focus of these inspections will be health and life safety. We plan to line these inspections up with the landlord or the designated property manager in advance, with a goal of at least two weeks advance notice. The landlord will then be responsible for informing the tenant of the upcoming inspection under the provisions of the Iowa Code 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law).
One of the best small towns in America
The Washington Volunteer Fire Department pledges to protect all people, homes and businesses in the city. They are a committed group of volunteers who respond quickly and with highly trained personnel to fire and medical emergencies.
Welcome to the website for the Washington, Iowa Police Department. Serving with pride, the members of our department are committed to providing professional and compassionate service to the residents and visitors of Washington.
The management philosophy of teamwork, accountability and communication drives our department as we work in partnership with our citizens and community organizations to maintain and enhance our quality of life in Washington.
I am extremely proud to serve as Chief of Police and work side by side with the outstanding members of this department in serving our community. Please take some time to browse through our site and we encourage you to participate with us in various events throughout the year.
Please don’t hesitate to take a moment to say hello to the members of the department when you see us out and about. We enjoy opportunities to talk about our work and may even have a Junior Police Officer sticker to share with those future WPD officers.
City Administration Office Welcomes You
The Administration Department performs diverse tasks including utility billing, payroll, cash collections, financial accounting, budgeting, human resources management, employee benefits, certain licenses and permits, processing of cemetery deed, and maintenance of official records, among other duties.
The City Administrator is responsible for ensuring the policy decisions made by the City Council are executed, for providing sound policy advice to the City Council, for the oversight of City personnel, and for the timely and cost-effective delivery of the City’s public services. The City Administrator is appointed by the City Council, and works as an active partner with the Mayor for the good of the community.
The department also includes a Finance Director, City Clerk, Utility Billing Clerk, and an Administrative Assistant.
