AN ACT Relating to fire protection districts; amending RCW 52.06.085; adding a new section to chapter 52.06 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 52.14 RCW.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 52.06.085 and 1985 c 7 s 118 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Whenever two or more fire protection districts merge, the board of fire commissioners of the merged fire protection district shall consist of all of the original fire commissioners. At the next three elections for fire commissioners the number of fire commissioners for the merged district shall be reduced as follows, notwithstanding the number of fire commissioners whose terms expire:

In the first election after the merger, only one position shall be filled, whether the new fire protection district be a three member district or a five member district pursuant to RCW 52.14.020.

In each of the two subsequent elections, one position shall be filled if the new fire protection district is a three member district and two positions shall be filled if the new fire protection district is a five member district pursuant to RCW 52.14.020.

Thereafter, the fire commissioners shall be elected in the same manner as prescribed for such fire protection districts of the state.

(2) A ballot proposition to create commissioner districts may be submitted to the voters of the fire protection districts proposed to be merged at the same election the ballot proposition is submitted authorizing the merging of the fire protection districts. The procedure to create commissioner districts shall conform with section 2 of this act, except that: (a) Resolutions proposing the creation of commissioner districts must be adopted by unanimous vote of the boards of fire commissioners of each of the fire protection districts that are proposed to be merged; and (b) commissioner districts will be authorized only if the ballot propositions to authorize the merger and to create commissioner districts are both approved. A ballot proposition authorizing the creation of commissioner districts is approved if it is approved by a simple majority vote of the combined voters of all the fire protection districts proposed to be merged. The commissioner districts shall not be drawn until the number of commissioners in the fire protection district has been reduced under subsection (1) of this section to either three or five commissioners. After this reduction of fire commissioners has occurred the commissioner districts shall be drawn and used for the election of the successor fire commissioners.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 52.14 RCW to read as follows:

The board of fire commissioners of a fire protection district may adopt a resolution by unanimous vote causing a ballot proposition to be submitted to voters of the district authorizing the creation of commissioner districts. The board of fire commissioners shall create commissioner districts if the ballot proposition authorizing the creation of commissioner districts is approved by a simple majority vote of the voters of the fire protection district voting on the proposition. Three commissioner districts shall be created for a fire protection district with three commissioners, and five commissioner districts shall be created for a fire protection district with five commissioners. No two commissioners may reside in the same commissioner district.

The population of each commissioner district shall include approximately equal population. Commissioner districts shall be redrawn as provided in chapter 29.70 RCW. Commissioner districts shall be used as follows: (1) Only a registered voter who resides in a commissioner district may be a candidate for, or serve as, a commissioner of the commissioner district; and (2) only voters of a commissioner district may vote at a primary to nominate candidates for a commissioner of the commissioner district. Voters of the entire fire protection district may vote at a general election to elect a person as a commissioner of the commissioner district.

When a board of fire commissioners that has commissioner districts has been increased to five members under RCW 52.14.015, the board of fire commissioners shall divide the fire protection district into five commissioner districts before it appoints the two additional fire commissioners. The two additional fire commissioners who are appointed shall reside in separate commissioner districts in which no other fire commissioner resides.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 52.06 RCW to read as follows:

A fire protection district resulting from the merger of two or more fire protection districts located in the same county shall be identified by the name of the county and the number of the merger fire protection district. However, the fire protection district resulting from such a merger shall be identified by the number of the merging district or one of the merging districts if a resolution providing for this number change is adopted by the board of fire commissioners of the district resulting from the merger or if resolutions providing for this number change are adopted by each of the boards of fire commissioners of the districts proposed to be merged.