AN ACT Relating to cities and towns; amending RCW 35.02.078, 35.02.130, 35.02.210, 35.02.220, and 52.02.020; adding new sections to chapter 35.02 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 35.02.078 and 1986 c 234 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

An election shall be held in the area proposed to be incorporated to determine whether the proposed city or town shall be incorporated if the boundary review board approves or modifies and approves the proposal, or if the county legislative authority does not disapprove the proposal as provided in RCW 35.02.070. Voters at this election shall determine if the area is to be incorporated.

The initial election on the question of incorporation shall be held at the next special election date specified in RCW 29.13.020 that occurs sixty or more days after the final public hearing by the county legislative authority or authorities, or the approval or modification and approval by the boundary review board or boards. The county legislative authority or authorities shall call for this election and, if the incorporation is approved, shall call for other elections to elect the elected officials as provided in this section. If the vote in favor of the incorporation receives ((~~forty~~)) thirty percent or less of the total vote on the question of incorporation, no new election on the question of incorporation for the area or any portion of the area proposed to be incorporated may be held for a period of three years from the date of the election in which the incorporation failed. This three-year prohibition shall not apply to any proposed 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 thirty percent or more of the total on the question of incorporation.

If the incorporation is authorized as provided by RCW 35.02.120, separate elections shall be held to nominate and elect persons to fill the various elective offices prescribed by law for the population and type of city or town, and to which it will belong. The primary election to nominate candidates for these elective positions shall be held at the next special election date, as specified in RCW 29.13.020, that occurs sixty or more days after the election on the question of incorporation or, if the incorporation election was held in April or May, at a special election by mail ballots to be held on the third Tuesday in July. The election to fill these elective positions shall be held at the next special election date, as specified in RCW 29.13.020, that occurs thirty or more days after certification of the results of the primary election or, if the primary election was held in April or May, at a special election by mail ballots to be held on the third Tuesday in July.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

A newly incorporated city or town shall be liable for its proportionate share of the costs of all elections, after the election on whether the area should be incorporated, at which an issue relating to the city or town is placed before the voters, as if the city or town was in existence after the election at which voters authorized the area to incorporate.

Sec. 3. RCW 35.02.130 and 1986 c 234 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:

The city or town officially shall become incorporated at a date from one hundred eighty days to three hundred sixty days after the date of the election on the question of incorporation. An interim period shall exist between the time the newly elected officials have been elected and qualified and this official date of incorporation. During this interim period, the newly elected officials are authorized to adopt ordinances and resolutions which shall become effective on or after the official date of incorporation, and to enter into contracts and agreements to facilitate the transition to becoming a city or town and to ensure a continuation of governmental services after the official date of incorporation. Periods of time that would be required to elapse between the enactment and effective date of such ordinances, including but not limited to times for publication or for filing referendums, shall commence upon the date of such enactment as though the city or town were officially incorporated.

During this interim period, the city or town governing body may adopt rules establishing policies and procedures under the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW, and may use these rules and procedures in making determinations under the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW.

During this interim period, the newly formed city or town and its governing body shall be subject to the following as though the city or town were officially incorporated: RCW 4.24.470 relating to immunity; chapter 42.17 RCW relating to open government; chapter 40.14 RCW relating to the preservation and disposition of public records; chapters 42.20, 42.22, and 42.23 RCW relating to ethics and conflicts of interest; chapters 42.30 and 42.32 RCW relating to open public meetings and minutes; RCW 35.22.288, 35.23.310, 35.24.220, 35.27.300, 35A.12.160, as appropriate, and chapter 35A.65 RCW relating to the publication of notices and ordinances; RCW 35.21.875 and 35A.21.230 relating to the designation of an official newspaper; RCW 36.16.138 relating to liability insurance; RCW 35.22.620, 35.23.352, and 35A.40.210, as appropriate, and statutes referenced therein relating to public contracts and bidding; and chapter 39.34 RCW relating to interlocal cooperation. Tax anticipation or revenue anticipation notes or warrants and other short-term obligations may be issued and funds may be borrowed on the security of these instruments during this interim period, as provided in chapter 39.50 RCW. Funds also may be borrowed from federal, state, and other governmental agencies in the same manner as if the city or town were officially incorporated.

RCW 84.52.020 and 84.52.070 shall apply to the extent that they may be applicable, and the governing body of such city or town may take appropriate action by ordinance during the interim period to adopt the property tax levy for its first full calendar year following the interim period.

The governing body of the new city or town may acquire needed facilities, supplies, equipment, insurance, and staff during this interim period as if the city or town were in existence. An interim city manager or administrator, who shall have such administrative powers and duties as are delegated by the governing body, may be appointed to serve only until the official date of incorporation. After the official date of incorporation the governing body of such a new city organized under the council manager form of government may extend the appointment of such an interim manager or administrator with such limited powers as the governing body determines, for up to ninety days. This governing body may submit ballot propositions to the voters of the city or town to authorize taxes to be collected on or after the official date of incorporation, or authorize an annexation of the city or town by a fire protection district or library district to be effective immediately upon the effective date of the incorporation as a city or town.

The boundaries of a newly incorporated city or town shall be deemed to be established for purposes of RCW 84.09.030 on the date that the results of the initial election on the question of incorporation are certified or the first day of January following the date of this election if the newly incorporated city or town does not impose property taxes in the same year that the voters approve the incorporation.

The newly elected officials shall take office immediately upon their election and qualification with limited powers during this interim period as provided in this section. They shall acquire their full powers as of the official date of incorporation and shall continue in office until their successors are elected and qualified at the next general municipal election after the official date of incorporation: PROVIDED, That if the date of the next general municipal election is less than ((~~seventy-five days~~)) twelve months after the ((~~official~~)) date ((~~of incorporation, the~~)) of the first election of councilmembers, those initially elected ((~~officials~~)) councilmembers shall ((~~hold office~~)) serve until their successors are elected and qualified at the next following general municipal election ((~~next following~~)) as provided in RCW 29.04.170. For purposes of this section, the general municipal election shall be the date on which city and town general elections are held throughout the state of Washington, pursuant to RCW 29.13.020.

The official date of incorporation shall be on a date from one hundred eighty to three hundred sixty days after the date of the election on the question of incorporation, as specified in a resolution adopted by the governing body during this interim period. A copy of the resolution shall be filed with the county legislative authority of the county in which all or the major portion of the newly incorporated city or town is located. If the governing body fails to adopt such a resolution, the official date of incorporation shall be three hundred sixty days after the date of the election on the question of incorporation. The county legislative authority of the county in which all or the major portion of the newly incorporated city or town is located shall file a notice with the county assessor that the city or town has been authorized to be incorporated immediately after the favorable results of the election on the question of incorporation have been certified. The county legislative authority shall file a notice with the secretary of state that the city or town is incorporated as of the official date of incorporation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

The newly elected officials shall adopt an interim budget for the interim period or until January 1 of the following year, whichever occurs first. A second interim budget shall be adopted for any period between January 1 and the official date of incorporation. These interim budgets shall be adopted in consultation with the office of the state auditor, division of municipal corporations.

The governing body shall adopt a budget for the newly incorporated city or town for the period between the official date of incorporation and January 1 of the following year. The mayor or governing body, whichever is appropriate shall prepare or the governing body may direct the interim city manager to prepare a preliminary budget in detail to be made public at least sixty days before the official date of incorporation as a recommendation for the final budget. The mayor, governing body, or the interim city manager shall submit as a part of the preliminary budget a budget message that contains an explanation of the budget document, an outline of the recommended financial policies and programs of the city or town for the ensuing fiscal year, and a statement of the relation of the recommended appropriation to such policies and programs. Immediately following the release of the preliminary budget, the governing body shall cause to be published a notice once each week for two consecutive weeks of a public hearing to be held at least twenty days before the official date of incorporation on the fixing of the final budget. Any taxpayer may appear and be heard for or against any part of the budget. The governing body may make such adjustments and changes as it deems necessary and may adopt the final budget at the conclusion of the public hearing or at any time before the official date of incorporation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

Upon the certification of election of officers, the governing body may by resolution borrow money from the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, up to one hundred thousand dollars or five dollars per capita based on the population estimate required by RCW 35.02.030, whichever is less.

The loan authorized by this section shall be repaid over a three-year period. The state treasurer shall withhold moneys from the funds otherwise payable to the city or town that has obtained such a loan, either from the municipal sales and use tax equalization account or from sales and use tax entitlements otherwise distributable to such city or town, so that the account is fully reimbursed over the three-year period. The state treasurer shall adopt by rule procedures to accomplish the purpose of this section on a reasonable and equitable basis over the three-year period.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

The department of community development shall identify federal, state, and local agencies that should receive notification that a new city or town is about to incorporate and shall assist newly formed cities and towns during the interim period before the official date of incorporation in providing such notification to the identified agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

During the interim period, the governing body of the newly formed city or town and the board of fire commissioners may by written agreement delay the transfer of the district's assets and liabilities, and the city's or town's responsibility for the provision of fire protection, that would otherwise occur under RCW 35.02.190 or 35.02.200 for up to one year after the official date of incorporation. During the one-year period, the fire protection district may annex the city or town pursuant to chapter 52.04 RCW and retain the responsibility for fire protection.

Sec. 8. RCW 35.02.210 and 1986 c 234 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

At the option of the governing body of a newly incorporated city or town, any fire protection district or library district serving any part of the area so incorporated shall continue to provide services to such area until the city or town ((~~receives distributions of property tax receipts from these special districts pursuant to RCW 35.02.140, or the city or town~~)) receives its own property tax receipts((~~, whichever is earlier~~)).

Sec. 9. RCW 35.02.220 and 1986 c 234 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

The approval of an incorporation by the voters of a proposed city or town, and the existence of a transition period to become a city or town, shall not remove the responsibility of any county, road district, library district, or fire district, within which the area is located, to continue providing services to the area until the official date of the incorporation.

A county shall continue to provide the following services to a newly incorporated city or town, or that portion of the county within which the newly incorporated city or town is located, at the preincorporation level as follows:

(1) Law enforcement services shall be provided for a period not to exceed sixty days from the official date of the incorporation or until the city or town is receiving or could have begun receiving sales tax distributions under RCW 82.14.030(1), whichever is the shortest time period.

(2) Road maintenance shall be for a period not to exceed sixty days from the official date of the incorporation or until ((~~any~~)) forty percent of the anticipated annual tax distribution from the road district tax levy is made to the newly incorporated city or town pursuant to RCW 35.02.140, whichever is the shorter time period.

Sec. 10. RCW 52.02.020 and 1984 c 230 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

Fire protection districts for the provision of fire prevention services, fire suppression services, emergency medical services, and for the protection of life and property in areas outside of cities and towns, except where the cities and towns have been annexed into a fire protection district or where the district is continuing service pursuant to section 7 of this act, are authorized to be established as provided in this title.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

During the interim period, the governing body of the newly formed city or town may adopt resolutions establishing moratoria during the interim transition period on the filing of applications with the county for development permits or approvals, including, but not limited, subdivision approvals, short subdivision approvals, and building permits.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 35.02 RCW to read as follows:

Cities, towns, counties, and other local government agencies and state agencies may make loans of staff and equipment, and technical and financial assistance to the newly formed city or town during the interim period to facilitate the transition to an incorporated city or town. Such loans and assistance may be without compensation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.