BILL REQ. #:  S-4091.1 

Read first time 01/13/2006.   Referred to Committee on Water, Energy & Environment.

     AN ACT Relating to watershed management partnerships; adding a new section to chapter 39.34 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that local governments, special districts, and utilities that cooperate in watershed management partnerships are acting in the public interest and in a manner that is intended to maintain healthy watershed function while sustaining growing populations and maximum beneficial use of water in the watershed over time. Therefore, it is the intent of this act to provide additional funding authority to assist watershed management partnerships with the implementation of local watershed plans.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 39.34 RCW to read as follows:
     Public agencies forming a watershed management partnership may develop and implement a general or special election revenue proposal to finance all, or one or more elements, of a watershed management plan. The revenue proposal must be submitted at a special or general election on the same day in all jurisdictions in which one or more elements of the proposal are to be applicable, and may not be implemented unless the proposal receives a majority of the votes cast within each city, county, and special purpose district participating in the proposal. The agencies within the watershed management partnership shall attempt as nearly as practicable to develop a proposal under which the total financial burden is distributed equitably within the watershed plan area upon those persons or parcels that the project, program, or activity benefits. The revenue proposal must include provisions to ensure that persons or parcels within the watershed plan area will not be taxed or assessed by more than one public agency for a specific watershed management plan project, program, or activity. To the extent a specific watershed management plan project, program, or activity is not fully funded by the revenue proposal, the submission or result of a revenue proposal does not affect or diminish the existing authority of any public agency to raise additional revenue to finance watershed management plan implementation.