HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2205

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Local Government

Title:  An act relating to urban emergency medical service districts.

Brief Description:  Creating urban emergency medical service districts.

Sponsors:  Representatives Cothern, L. Johnson and H. Myers.

Brief History:

Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, January 20, 1994, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives H. Myers, Chair; Springer, Vice Chair; Edmondson, Ranking Minority Member; Reams, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dunshee; R. Fisher; Horn; Moak; Rayburn; Van Luven; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Voters of the five following taxing districts may approve ballot propositions authorizing the taxing district to impose annual regular property taxes of up to 50 cents per $1000 of assessed valuation for six years to finance emergency medical services:

oCounties;

oCities and towns;

oFire protection districts;

oPublic hospital districts; and

oEmergency medical service districts.

The vote that is necessary to authorize these taxes is at least a 60 percent affirmative vote, with a 40 percent validation requirement.

An emergency medical service district is a special district that may be created in the unincorporated area of a county to provide and finance emergency medical services.  The county legislative authority acts in an ex officio capacity as the governing body of an emergency medical service district.

If a county imposes the property tax for emergency medical services, no taxing district within its boundaries may impose this tax.

Voters of King County have authorized the county to impose the regular property tax to finance emergency medical services.  Snohomish County does not impose the emergency medical service tax.  Most of the city of Bothell is located in King County, but a part of Bothell is also located in Snohomish County.

Summary of Bill:  The council of a city or town that is located in two counties may create an urban emergency medical service district in all of the portion of the city or town that is located in one of the two counties if:

oThe county in which the district is located does not impose the property tax to fund emergency medical services; and

oThe other county in which the city or town is located imposes the property tax to fund emergency medical services.

The city or town council must hold a public hearing on the creation of the emergency medical service district prior to creating the district by ordinance.  The city or town council acts in an ex officio capacity as the governing body of an urban emergency medical service district.  Voters of the urban emergency medical service district are the registered voters residing in the district.

An urban emergency medical service district is authorized to provide emergency medical services within its boundaries by contracting with a county, city, town, fire protection district, public hospital district, or emergency medical service district to provide those services.

Voters of an urban emergency medical service district may approve ballot propositions authorizing the district to impose annual regular property taxes of up to 50 cents per $1000 of assessed valuation for six years to finance emergency medical services.  The ballot proposition authorizing the taxes must be approved by at least a 60 percent affirmative vote, with a 40 percent validation requirement.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This is a technical fix allowing the creation of a taxing district within part of a city where voters could authorize EMS levies.  This will establish equity.  Bothell finances EMS services in the Snohomish County portion of the city with general city tax revenues, but property owners in the King County portion of the city pay property taxes to finance EMS services in that portion of the city.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Manny Ocampo and Richard Duncan, city of Bothell; and Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities.