SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5139

                       AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 12, 1991

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to incorporation elections.

SPONSORS:Senator McCaslin.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Roach, Vice Chairman; Madsen, and Matson. 

Staff:  Eugene Green (786‑7405)

Hearing Dates:February 4, 1991; February 14, 1991

BACKGROUND:

If a vote in favor of an incorporation of a city or town receives 40 percent or less of the total vote on the question of incorporation, no new election on the question of incorporation for that area or any portion of that area proposed to be incorporated may be held for a period of three years.  It is felt that because city or town incorporation attempts are almost always volunteer citizen efforts the existing 40 percent threshold is too high.

SUMMARY:

A new election on the question of the incorporation of a city or town may not be held for three years if the favorable vote on the question of incorporation was less than 30 percent.  The existing three-year prohibition shall not apply to any city or town in which such election was held before the effective date of this act and the vote in favor of the incorporation received 30 percent or more of the total on the question of incorporation.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

Three years is too long to deny citizens an opportunity to vote.  We should continue to encourage efforts to incorporate.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

People should not be continually subjected to incorporation elections.

TESTIFIED:  Dave Williams, Association of Washington Counties (pro); Don Aicher, Washington Association of Boundary Review Boards (con)