SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2495

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

State & Local Government, February 28, 2002

Title:  An act relating to updating outdated fire district statutes to increase efficiency.

Brief Description:  Updating outdated fire district statutes to increase efficiency.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Mulliken, Dunshee, Edwards, Miloscia and Casada).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/25/02, 2/28/02 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Gardner, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Hale, Keiser, Kline, T. Sheldon and Swecker.

Staff:  Mac Nicholson (786‑7445)

Background:  Fire districts are empowered to levy an additional property tax, up to $.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value, above the general levy for fire districts, provided that it will not affect the rates of other taxing districts or cause the combined levies to exceed constitutional or statutory limits.  To levy such a tax, the fire district must be within a county where a township has never been formed or where there are one or more townships in existence making annual tax levies and the townships are disorganized as a result of a county‑wide disorganization procedure prescribed by statute and is no longer making any tax levy.  Additionally, the fire district must have at least one full time, paid employee.

Summary of Bill:  Any fire district that has at least one full-time paid employee, or contracts with another municipal corporation for the services of at least one full‑time paid employee, may levy the additional $.50 per thousand property tax.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill allows a fire district to contract with another district for the services of a full-time employee rather than employ one themselves.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Ryan Spiller, Fire Districts; Robert Miller, National Fire Protection Association.