HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2325

                       As Passed House

                      February 10, 1994

Title:  An act relating to city and town elections.

Brief Description:  Revising procedures for changing the plan of government for cities and towns.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Edmondson, H. Myers and Springer).

Brief History:

Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, January 28, 1994, DPS;

Passed House, February 10, 1994, 91-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill 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:  Cities and towns are divided into the following classifications:

oFirst class city means a city with population of 10,000 or more operating under a city charter approved by city voters;

oSecond class city means a city with a population of 10,000 or more when the city incorporated or reorganized, that is not a code city;

oThird class city means a city with a population of 1,500 to less than 10,000 when the city incorporated or reorganized, that is not a code city;

oTown means a municipal corporation with a population less than 1,500 when the entity incorporated or reorganized, that is not a code city;

oCode city means a city that either incorporated as a code city or reorganized from a regular city or town to a code city.

Cities and towns operate under different plans of government as follows:

oMayor/council plan where an elected council is the policy-making governing body, and a mayor is elected as a separate official with executive and administrative authorities.

oCouncil/manager plan where an elected council is the policy-making governing body, including a chairperson who is also called the mayor but who does not possess administrative or executive authorities.  A city or town manager is appointed by the council to act as the executive and administrator of the city or town.

oCommission plan where three persons are elected as the policy-making governing body but also possess executive and administrative authorities.

The process of initiating a change in classification or plan of government begins with a petition of city or town voters.  Signature requirements vary.  The only changes that may be initiated by resolution of the governing body are: changing classification to a code city, or a code city changing its plan of government.  In most instances ballot propositions authorizing the change are submitted to voters for their approval or rejection.

Summary of Bill:  The procedures for cities and towns to reorganize under different classifications, other than a first class city with a city charter, and to alter their plans of government, are altered to:

oClarify the procedures by which these changes are made;

oAllow ballot propositions authorizing the changes to be submitted to voters by action of the governing body;

oStandardize the signature requirements for petitions proposing the change; and

oRetain the terms of office of the existing governing body members, except when a city alters its plan of government to the commission plan.

Any additional positions that are required are filled as if vacancies existed.  Any reduction in positions occurs gradually, election-by-election, as the terms of office of existing members of the governing body end.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This allows changes to be made without tossing all elected officials out of office.  This allows change in the plan of government while maintaining stability among the officials.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities.