AN ACT Relating to metropolitan municipal
corporations; amending RCW 35.58.030, 35.58.040, 35.58.090, 35.58.120,
35.58.230, 35.58.270, 35.58.300, 35.58.320, 35.58.340, 35.58.350, 35.58.410,
39.36.020, 35.58.450, 35.58.460, 35.58.490, 35.58.500, 35.58.520, and
35.58.530; and repealing RCW 35.58.118, 35.58.440, and 35A.57.010.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1.
RCW 35.58.030 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.030 are each amended to read as follows:
Any area of the state containing two or more
cities, at least one of which is ((a city of the first class)) of ten
thousand or more population, may organize as a metropolitan municipal
corporation for the performance of certain functions, as provided in this
chapter. The boundaries of a metropolitan municipal corporation may not be
expanded to include territory located in a county other than a component county
except as a result of the consolidation of two or more contiguous metropolitan
municipal corporations.
Sec. 2.
RCW 35.58.040 and 1991 c 363 s 39 are each amended to read as follows:
At the time of its formation no metropolitan
municipal corporation shall include only a part of any city, and every city
shall be either wholly included or wholly excluded from the boundaries of such
corporation. If subsequent to the formation of a metropolitan municipal
corporation a part only of any city shall be included within the boundaries of
a metropolitan municipal corporation such part shall be deemed to be
"unincorporated" for the purpose of selecting a member of the
metropolitan council pursuant to RCW 35.58.120(3) and such city shall neither
select nor participate in the selection of a member on the metropolitan council
pursuant to RCW 35.58.120.
Any metropolitan municipal corporation now
existing ((or hereafter created,)) within a county with a population of
((from two hundred ten thousand to less than one million bordering a county
with a population of one million or more, or within a county with a population
of)) one million or more((,)) shall, upon May 21, 1971, ((as to
metropolitan corporations existing on such date or upon the date of formation
as to metropolitan corporations formed after May 21, 1971,)) have the same
boundaries as those of the respective central county of such metropolitan
corporation((: PROVIDED, That)). The boundaries of such
metropolitan corporation may not be enlarged or diminished after
such date by annexation as provided in chapter 35.58 RCW ((as now or
hereafter amended)) and any purported annexation of territory shall be
deemed void. Any contiguous metropolitan municipal corporations may be
consolidated into a single metropolitan municipal corporation upon such terms,
for the purpose of performing such metropolitan function or functions, and to
be effective at such time as may be approved by resolutions of the respective
metropolitan councils. In the event of such consolidation the component city
with the largest population shall be the central city of such consolidated
metropolitan municipal corporation and the component county with the largest
population shall be the central county of such consolidated metropolitan
municipal corporation.
Sec. 3.
RCW 35.58.090 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 195 s 23 are each amended to read as
follows:
The election on the formation of the
metropolitan municipal corporation shall be conducted by the auditor of the
central county in accordance with the general election laws of the state and the
results thereof shall be canvassed by the county canvassing board of the
central county, which shall certify the result of the election to the ((board
of)) county ((commissioners)) legislative authority of the
central county, and shall cause a certified copy of such canvass to be filed in
the office of the secretary of state. Notice of the election shall be
published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in each component
county in the manner provided in the general election laws. No person shall be
entitled to vote at such election unless ((he)) that person is a
qualified voter under the laws of the state in effect at the time of such
election and has resided within the metropolitan area for at least thirty days
preceding the date of the election. The ballot proposition shall be in
substantially the following form:
"FORMATION
OF METROPOLITAN
MUNICIPAL
CORPORATION
Shall a metropolitan
municipal corporation be established for the area described in a resolution of
the ((board of commissioners)) county legislative authority of
. . . . . . county adopted on the
. . . . day of . . . . . .,
19. . ., to perform the metropolitan functions of
. . . . . . (here insert the title of each of the
functions to be authorized as set forth in the petition or initial resolution).
YES
............................................................................................... G
NO ............................................................................................................................... G"
If a majority of the persons voting on the
proposition residing within the central city shall vote in favor thereof and a
majority of the persons voting on the proposition residing in the metropolitan
area outside of the central city shall vote in favor thereof, the metropolitan
municipal corporation shall thereupon be established and the ((board of
commissioners)) county legislative authority of the central county
shall adopt a resolution setting a time and place for the first meeting of the
metropolitan council which shall be held not later than ((thirty)) sixty
days after the date of such election. A copy of such resolution shall be
transmitted to the legislative body of each component city and county and of
each special district which shall be affected by the particular metropolitan
functions authorized.
At the same election there shall be submitted
to the voters residing within the metropolitan area, for their approval or
rejection, a proposition authorizing the metropolitan municipal corporation, if
formed, to levy at the earliest time permitted by law on all taxable property
located within the metropolitan municipal corporation a general tax, for one
year, of twenty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value in excess of
any constitutional or statutory limitation for authorized purposes of the metropolitan
municipal corporation. The proposition shall be expressed on the ballots in
substantially the following form:
"ONE
YEAR TWENTY-FIVE CENTS
PER
THOUSAND DOLLARS OF
ASSESSED
VALUE LEVY
Shall the metropolitan
municipal corporation, if formed, levy a general tax of twenty-five cents per
thousand dollars of assessed value for one year upon all the taxable property
within said corporation in excess of the constitutional and/or statutory tax
limits for authorized purposes of the corporation?
YES ............................... ............................................................................... G
NO.................................................................................................................................... G"
Such proposition to be effective must be approved by a
majority of at least three-fifths of the persons voting on the proposition to
levy such tax, with a forty percent validation requirement, in the
manner set forth in Article VII, section 2(a) of the Constitution of this
state((, as amended by Amendment 59 and as thereafter amended)).
Sec. 4.
RCW 35.58.120 and 1983 c 92 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
Unless the rights, powers, functions, and
obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation have been assumed by a
county as provided in chapter 36.56 RCW, a metropolitan municipal corporation
shall be governed by a metropolitan council composed of ((the following:
(1) One member (a) who shall be the elected
county executive of the central county, or (b) if there shall be no elected
county executive, one member who shall be selected by, and from, the board of
commissioners of the central county.
(2) One additional member for each county
commissioner district or county council district which shall contain fifteen
thousand or more persons residing within the metropolitan municipal corporation,
who shall be the county commissioner or county councilman from such district;
(3) One additional member selected by the board
of commissioners or county council of each component county for each county
commissioner district or county council district containing fifteen thousand or
more persons residing in the unincorporated portion of such commissioner
district lying within the metropolitan municipal corporation each such
appointee to be a resident of such unincorporated portion;
(4) One member from each component city which
shall have a population of fifteen thousand or more persons, who shall be the
mayor of such city, if such city shall have the mayor-council form of
government, and in other cities shall be selected by, and from, the mayor and city
council of each of such cities.
(5) One member representing all component
cities which have less than fifteen thousand population each, to be selected by
and from the mayors of such smaller cities in the following manner: The mayors
of all such cities shall meet prior to July 1 of each even-numbered year at a
time and place to be fixed by the metropolitan council. The chairperson of the
metropolitan council shall preside. After nominations are made, successive
ballots shall be taken until one candidate receives a majority of all votes
cast.
(6) One additional member selected by the city
council of each component city containing a population of fifteen thousand or
more for each fifty thousand population over and above the first fifteen
thousand, such members to be selected from such city council until all
councilmen are members and thereafter to be selected from other officers of
such city.
(7) For any metropolitan municipal corporation
which shall be authorized to perform the function of metropolitan water
pollution abatement, two additional members who shall be commissioners of a
sewer district or a water district which is operating a sewer system and is a
component part of the metropolitan municipal corporation and shall participate
only in those council actions which relate to the performance of the function
of metropolitan water pollution abatement. The commissioners of all such sewer
districts and water districts which are component parts of the metropolitan
municipal corporation shall meet on the first Tuesday of the month following
May 21, 1971 and thereafter on the second Tuesday of June of each even-numbered
year at seven o'clock p.m. at the office of the board of county commissioners
of the central county. After election of a chairman, nominations shall be made
to select members to serve on the metropolitan council and successive ballots
taken for each member until one candidate receives a majority of votes cast.
The two members so selected shall not be from districts whose boundaries come
within ten miles of each other.
(8) One member, who shall be chairman of the
metropolitan council, selected by the other members of the council. The member
shall not hold any public office of or be an employee of any component city or
component county of the metropolitan municipal corporation)) elected officials of the component counties and
component cities, and possibly other persons, as determined by agreement of
each of the component counties and the component cities equal in number to at
least twenty-five percent of the total number of component cities that have at
least seventy-five percent of the combined component city populations. The
agreement shall remain in effect until altered in the same manner as the
initial composition is determined.
Sec. 5.
RCW 35.58.230 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.230 are each amended to read as follows:
If a metropolitan municipal corporation shall
be authorized to perform the function of metropolitan water supply, the
metropolitan council shall, prior to the effective date of the assumption of
such function, cause a metropolitan water advisory committee to be formed by
notifying the legislative body of each component city which operates a water
system to appoint one person to serve on such advisory committee and the board
of commissioners of each water district, any portion of which lies within the
metropolitan area, to appoint one person to serve on such committee who shall
be a water district commissioner. The metropolitan water advisory committee
shall meet at the time and place provided in the notice and elect a chairman.
The members of such committee shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing
bodies and shall receive no compensation other than reimbursement for expenses
actually incurred in the performance of their duties. The function of such
advisory committee shall be to advise the metropolitan council with respect to
matters relating to the performance of the water supply function.
The requirement to create a metropolitan
water advisory committee shall not apply to a county that has assumed the
rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the metropolitan municipal
corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW.
Sec. 6.
RCW 35.58.270 and 1967 c 105 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:
If a metropolitan municipal corporation shall
be authorized to perform the function of metropolitan transportation with a
commission form of management, a metropolitan transit commission shall be
formed prior to the effective date of the assumption of such function. Except
as provided in this section, the metropolitan transit commission shall exercise
all powers of the metropolitan municipal corporation with respect to
metropolitan transportation facilities, including but not limited to the power
to construct, acquire, maintain, operate, extend, alter, repair, control and
manage a local public transportation system within and without the metropolitan
area, to establish new passenger transportation services and to alter, curtail,
or abolish any services as the commission may deem desirable and to fix tolls
and fares.
The comprehensive plan for public
transportation service and any amendments thereof shall be adopted by the
metropolitan council and the metropolitan transit commission shall provide
transportation facilities and service consistent with such plan. The
metropolitan transit commission shall authorize expenditures for transportation
purposes within the budget adopted by the metropolitan council. Tolls and
fares may be fixed or altered by the commission only after approval thereof by
the metropolitan council. Bonds of the metropolitan municipal corporation for
public transportation purposes shall be issued by the metropolitan council as
provided in this chapter.
The metropolitan transit commission shall
consist of seven members. Six of such members shall be appointed by the
metropolitan council and the seventh member shall be the chairman of the
metropolitan council who shall be ex officio the chairman of the metropolitan
transit commission. Three of the six appointed members of the commission shall
be residents of the central city and three shall be residents of the
metropolitan area outside of the central city. The three central city members
of the first metropolitan transit commission shall be selected from the
existing transit commission of the central city, if there be a transit
commission in such city. The terms of first appointees shall be for one, two,
three, four, five and six years, respectively. Thereafter, commissioners shall
serve for a term of four years. Compensation of transit commissioners shall be
determined by the metropolitan council.
The requirement to create a metropolitan
transit commission shall not apply to a county that has assumed the rights,
powers, functions, and obligations of the metropolitan municipal corporation
under chapter 36.56 RCW.
Sec. 7.
RCW 35.58.300 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.300 are each amended to read as follows:
If a metropolitan municipal corporation shall
be authorized to perform the function of metropolitan parks and parkways, a
metropolitan park board shall be formed prior to the effective date of the
assumption of such function. Except as provided in this section, the
metropolitan park board shall exercise all powers of the metropolitan municipal
corporation with respect to metropolitan park and parkway facilities.
The metropolitan park board shall authorize
expenditures for park and parkway purposes within the budget adopted by the
metropolitan council. Bonds of the metropolitan municipal corporation for park
and parkway purposes shall be issued by the metropolitan council as provided in
this chapter.
The metropolitan park board shall consist of
five members appointed by the metropolitan council at least two of whom shall
be residents of the central city. The terms of first appointees shall be for
one, two, three, four and five years, respectively. Thereafter members shall
serve for a term of four years. Compensation of park board members shall be
determined by the metropolitan council.
The requirement to create a metropolitan
park board shall not apply to a county that has assumed the rights, powers,
functions, and obligations of the metropolitan municipal corporation under
chapter 36.56 RCW.
Sec. 8.
RCW 35.58.320 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.320 are each amended to read as follows:
A metropolitan municipal corporation shall have
power to acquire by purchase and condemnation all lands and property rights,
both within and without the metropolitan area, which are necessary for its
purposes. Such right of eminent domain shall be exercised by the metropolitan
council in the same manner and by the same procedure as is or may be provided
by law for cities ((of the first class)), except insofar as such laws
may be inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 9.
RCW 35.58.340 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.340 are each amended to read as follows:
Except as otherwise provided herein, a
metropolitan municipal corporation may sell, or otherwise dispose of any real
or personal property acquired in connection with any authorized metropolitan
function and which is no longer required for the purposes of the metropolitan
municipal corporation in the same manner as provided for cities ((of the
first class)). When the metropolitan council determines that a
metropolitan facility or any part thereof which has been acquired from a
component city or county without compensation is no longer required for
metropolitan purposes, but is required as a local facility by the city or county
from which it was acquired, the metropolitan council shall by resolution
transfer it to such city or county.
Sec. 10.
RCW 35.58.350 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.350 are each amended to read as follows:
All the powers and functions of a metropolitan
municipal corporation shall be vested in the metropolitan council unless
expressly vested in specific officers, boards, or commissions by this chapter,
or vested in the county legislative authority of a county that has assumed the
rights, powers, functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal
corporation as provided in chapter 36.56 RCW. Without limitation of the
foregoing authority, or of other powers given it by this chapter, the
metropolitan council shall have the following powers:
(1) To establish offices, departments, boards
and commissions in addition to those provided by this chapter which are
necessary to carry out the purposes of the metropolitan municipal corporation,
and to prescribe the functions, powers and duties thereof.
(2) To appoint or provide for the appointment
of, and to remove or to provide for the removal of, all officers and employees
of the metropolitan municipal corporation except those whose appointment or
removal is otherwise provided by this chapter.
(3) To fix the salaries, wages and other
compensation of all officers and employees of the metropolitan municipal
corporation unless the same shall be otherwise fixed in this chapter.
(4) To employ such engineering, legal,
financial, or other specialized personnel as may be necessary to accomplish the
purposes of the metropolitan municipal corporation.
Sec. 11.
RCW 35.58.410 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.410 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) On or before the third Monday in June
of each year, each metropolitan municipal corporation shall adopt a budget for
the following calendar year. Such budget shall include a separate section for
each authorized metropolitan function. Expenditures shall be segregated as to
operation and maintenance expenses and capital and betterment outlays.
Administrative and other expense general to the corporation shall be allocated
between the authorized metropolitan functions. The budget shall contain an
estimate of all revenues to be collected during the following budget year,
including any surplus funds remaining unexpended from the preceding year. ((The
remaining funds required to meet budget expenditures, if any, shall be
designated as "supplemental income" and shall be obtained from the
component cities and counties in the manner provided in this chapter.))
The metropolitan council shall not be required to confine capital or betterment
expenditures made from bond proceeds or emergency expenditures to items
provided in the budget. The affirmative vote of three-fourths of all members
of the metropolitan council shall be required to authorize emergency
expenditures.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not
apply to a county that has assumed the rights, powers, functions, and
obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW.
This subsection (2) shall apply only to each county that has assumed the
rights, powers, functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal
corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW.
Each county that has assumed the rights,
powers, functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation
under chapter 36.56 RCW shall, on or before the third Monday in June of each
year, prepare an estimate of all revenues to be collected during the following
calendar year, including any surplus funds remaining unexpended from the
preceding year for each authorized metropolitan function.
By June 30 of each year, the county shall
adopt the rate for sewage disposal that will be charged to component cities and
sewer districts during the following budget year.
As long as any general obligation
indebtedness remains outstanding that was issued by the metropolitan municipal
corporation prior to the assumption by the county, the county shall continue to
impose the taxes authorized by RCW 82.14.045 and 35.58.273(5) at the maximum
rates and on all of the taxable events authorized by law. If, despite the
continued imposition of those taxes, the estimate of revenues made on or before
the third Monday in June shows that estimated revenues will be insufficient to
make all debt service payments falling due in the following calendar year on
all general obligation indebtedness issued by the metropolitan municipal
corporation prior to the assumption by the county of the rights, powers,
functions, and obligations of the metropolitan municipal corporation, the
remaining amount required to make the debt service payments shall be designated
as "supplemental income" and shall be obtained from component cities
and component counties as provided under RCW 35.58.420.
The county shall prepare and adopt a budget
each year in accordance with applicable general law or county charter. If
supplemental income has been designated under this subsection, the supplemental
income shall be reflected in the budget that is adopted. If during the budget
year the actual tax revenues from the taxes imposed under the authority of RCW
82.14.045 and 35.58.273(5) exceed the estimates upon which the supplemental
income was based, the difference shall be refunded to the component cities and
component counties in proportion to their payments promptly after the end of
the budget year. A county that has assumed the rights, powers, functions, and
obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW
shall not be required to confine capital or betterment expenditures for
authorized metropolitan functions from bond proceeds or emergency expenditures
to items provided in the budget.
Sec. 12.
RCW 39.36.020 and 1971 ex.s. c 218 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise expressly provided by
law or in subsections (2), (3) and (4) of this section, no taxing district
shall for any purpose become indebted in any manner to an amount exceeding
three‑eighths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in such
taxing district without the assent of three‑fifths of the voters therein
voting at an election to be held for that purpose, nor in cases requiring such
assent shall the total indebtedness incurred at any time exceed one and
one-fourth percent on the value of the taxable property therein.
(2) Counties, cities, towns, and public
hospital districts are limited to an indebtedness amount not exceeding
three-fourths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in such
counties, cities, towns, or public hospital districts without the assent of
three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election held for that
purpose. In cases requiring such assent counties, cities, towns, and public
hospital districts are limited to a total indebtedness of two and one-half
percent of the value of the taxable property therein. However, any county
that has assumed the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of a
metropolitan municipal corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW may become indebted
to a larger amount for its authorized metropolitan functions, as provided under
chapter 35.58 RCW, but not exceeding an additional three-fourths of one percent
of the value of the taxable property in the county without the assent of
three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election held for that purpose,
and in cases requiring such assent not exceeding an additional two and one-half
percent of the value of the taxable property in the county.
(3) School districts are limited to an
indebtedness amount not exceeding three-eighths of one percent of the value of
the taxable property in such district without the assent of three‑fifths
of the voters therein voting at an election held for that purpose. In cases
requiring such assent school districts are limited to a total indebtedness of
two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property therein.
(4) No part of the indebtedness allowed in this
chapter shall be incurred for any purpose other than strictly county, city,
town, school district, township, port district, metropolitan park district, or
other municipal purposes: PROVIDED, That a city or town, with such assent, may
become indebted to a larger amount, but not exceeding two and one-half percent
additional, determined as herein provided, for supplying such city or town with
water, artificial light, and sewers, when the works for supplying such water,
light, and sewers shall be owned and controlled by the city or town; and a city
or town, with such assent, may become indebted to a larger amount, but not
exceeding two and one-half percent additional for acquiring or developing open
space and park facilities: PROVIDED FURTHER, That any school district may
become indebted to a larger amount but not exceeding two and one-half percent
additional for capital outlays.
(5) Such indebtedness may be authorized in any
total amount in one or more propositions and the amount of such authorization
may exceed the amount of indebtedness which could then lawfully be incurred.
Such indebtedness may be incurred in one or more series of bonds from time to
time out of such authorization but at no time shall the total general
indebtedness of any taxing district exceed the above limitation.
The term "value of the taxable
property" as used in this section shall have the meaning set forth in RCW
39.36.015.
Sec. 13.
RCW 35.58.450 and 1984 c 186 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:
Notwithstanding the limitations of chapter
39.36 RCW and any other statutory limitations otherwise applicable and limiting
municipal debt, a metropolitan municipal corporation shall have the power to
contract indebtedness and issue general obligation bonds and to pledge the full
faith and credit of the corporation to the payment thereof, for any authorized
capital purpose of the metropolitan municipal corporation, not to exceed an
amount, together with any outstanding nonvoter approved general indebtedness,
equal to three-fourths of one percent of the value of the taxable property
within the metropolitan municipal corporation, as the term "value of the
taxable property" is defined in RCW 39.36.015. A metropolitan municipal
corporation may additionally contract indebtedness and issue general obligation
bonds, for any authorized capital purpose of a metropolitan municipal
corporation, together with any other outstanding general indebtedness, not to
exceed an amount equal to five percent of the value of the taxable property
within the corporation, as the term "value of the taxable property"
is defined in RCW 39.36.015, when a proposition authorizing the indebtedness
has been approved by three-fifths of the persons voting on said proposition at
said election at which such election the total number of persons voting on such
bond proposition shall constitute not less than forty percent of the total
number of ((votes cast)) voters voting within the area of said
metropolitan municipal corporation at the last preceding state general
election. Such general obligation bonds may be authorized in any total amount
in one or more propositions and the amount of such authorization may exceed the
amount of bonds which could then lawfully be issued. Such bonds may be issued
in one or more series from time to time out of such authorization. The
elections shall be held pursuant to RCW 39.36.050.
Whenever the voters of a metropolitan municipal
corporation have, pursuant to RCW 84.52.056, approved excess property tax
levies to retire such bond issues, both the principal of and interest on such
general obligation bonds may be made payable from annual tax levies to be made
upon all the taxable property within the metropolitan municipal corporation in
excess of the constitutional and/or statutory tax limit. The principal of and
interest on any general obligation bond may be made payable from any other
taxes or any special assessments which the metropolitan municipal corporation
may be authorized to levy or from any otherwise unpledged revenue which may be
derived from the ownership or operation of properties or facilities incident to
the performance of the authorized function for which such bonds are issued or
may be made payable from any combination of the foregoing sources. The
metropolitan council may include in the principal amount of such bond issue an
amount for engineering, architectural, planning, financial, legal, urban design
and other services incident to acquisition or construction solely for
authorized capital purposes ((and may include an amount to establish a
guaranty fund for revenue bonds issued solely for capital purposes)).
General obligation bonds shall be issued and
sold by the metropolitan council as provided in chapter 39.46 RCW and shall
mature in not to exceed forty years from the date of issue.
Sec. 14.
RCW 35.58.460 and 1983 c 167 s 48 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) A metropolitan municipal corporation may
issue revenue bonds to provide funds to carry out its authorized metropolitan
water pollution abatement, water supply, garbage disposal or transportation
purposes, without submitting the matter to the voters of the metropolitan
municipal corporation. The metropolitan council shall create a special fund or
funds for the sole purpose of paying the principal of and interest on the bonds
of each such issue, into which fund or funds the metropolitan council may
obligate the metropolitan municipal corporation to pay such amounts of the
gross revenue of the particular utility constructed, acquired, improved, added
to, or repaired out of the proceeds of sale of such bonds, as the metropolitan
council shall determine and may obligate the metropolitan municipal corporation
to pay such amounts out of otherwise unpledged revenue which may be derived
from the ownership, use or operation of properties or facilities owned, used or
operated incident to the performance of the authorized function for which such
bonds are issued or out of otherwise unpledged fees, tolls, charges, tariffs,
fares, rentals, special taxes or other sources of payment lawfully authorized
for such purpose, as the metropolitan council shall determine. The principal
of, and interest on, such bonds shall be payable only out of such special fund
or funds, and the owners of such bonds shall have a lien and charge against the
gross revenue of such utility or any other revenue, fees, tolls, charges,
tariffs, fares, special taxes or other authorized sources pledged to the
payment of such bonds.
Such revenue bonds and the interest thereon
issued against such fund or funds shall be a valid claim of the owners thereof
only as against such fund or funds and the revenue pledged therefor, and shall
not constitute a general indebtedness of the metropolitan municipal
corporation.
Each such revenue bond shall state upon its
face that it is payable from such special fund or funds, and all revenue bonds
issued under this chapter shall be negotiable securities within the provisions
of the law of this state. Such revenue bonds may be registered either as to
principal only or as to principal and interest as provided in RCW 39.46.030, or
may be bearer bonds; shall be in such denominations as the metropolitan council
shall deem proper; shall be payable at such time or times and at such places as
shall be determined by the metropolitan council; shall bear interest at such
rate or rates as shall be determined by the metropolitan council; shall be
signed by the chairman and attested by the secretary of the metropolitan
council, ((one)) any of which signatures may be ((a))
facsimile signatures, and the seal of the metropolitan municipal
corporation shall be impressed or imprinted thereon; any attached interest
coupons shall be signed by the facsimile signatures of said officials.
Such revenue bonds shall be sold in such
manner, at such price and at such rate or rates of interest as the metropolitan
council shall deem to be for the best interests of the metropolitan municipal
corporation, either at public or private sale.
The metropolitan council may at the time of the
issuance of such revenue bonds make such covenants with the owners of said
bonds as it may deem necessary to secure and guarantee the payment of the
principal thereof and the interest thereon, including but not being limited to
covenants to set aside adequate reserves to secure or guarantee the payment of
such principal and interest, to maintain rates sufficient to pay such principal
and interest and to maintain adequate coverage over debt service, to appoint a
trustee or trustees for the bond owners to safeguard the expenditure of the
proceeds of sale of such bonds and to fix the powers and duties of such trustee
or trustees and to make such other covenants as the metropolitan council may
deem necessary to accomplish the most advantageous sale of such bonds. The
metropolitan council may also provide that revenue bonds payable out of the
same source may later be issued on a parity with revenue bonds being issued and
sold.
The metropolitan council may include in the
principal amount of any such revenue bond issue an amount to establish
necessary reserves, an amount for working capital and an amount necessary for
interest during the period of construction of any such metropolitan facilities
plus six months. The metropolitan council may, if it deems it to the best
interest of the metropolitan municipal corporation, provide in any contract for
the construction or acquisition of any metropolitan facilities or additions or
improvements thereto or replacements or extensions thereof that payment
therefor shall be made only in such revenue bonds at the par value thereof.
If the metropolitan municipal corporation shall
fail to carry out or perform any of its obligations or covenants made in the
authorization, issuance and sale of such bonds, the owner of any such bond may
bring action against the metropolitan municipal corporation and compel the
performance of any or all of such covenants.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this
section, such bonds may be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46
RCW.
Sec. 15.
RCW 35.58.490 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.490 are each amended to read as follows:
((If a metropolitan municipal corporation
shall have been authorized to levy a general tax on all taxable property
located within the metropolitan municipal corporation in the manner provided in
this chapter, either at the time of the formation of the metropolitan municipal
corporation or subsequently, the)) A metropolitan council shall have
the power to authorize the issuance of interest bearing warrants on such terms
and conditions as the metropolitan council shall provide((, same to be
repaid from the proceeds of such tax when collected)) and to repay the
interest bearing warrants with any moneys legally authorized for such purposes,
including tax receipts where appropriate.
Sec. 16.
RCW 35.58.500 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.500 are each amended to read as follows:
The metropolitan municipal corporation shall
have the power to levy special assessments payable over a period of not
exceeding twenty years on all property within the metropolitan area specially
benefited by any improvement, on the basis of special benefits conferred, to
pay in whole, or in part, the damages or costs of any such improvement, and for
such purpose may establish local improvement districts and enlarged local
improvement districts, issue local improvement warrants and bonds to be repaid
by the collection of local improvement assessments and generally to exercise
with respect to any improvements which it may be authorized to construct or
acquire the same powers as may now or hereafter be conferred by law upon cities
((of the first class)). Such local improvement districts shall be
created and such special assessments levied and collected and local improvement
warrants and bonds issued and sold in the same manner as shall now or hereafter
be provided by law for cities ((of the first class)). The duties
imposed upon the city treasurer under such acts shall be imposed upon the
treasurer of the county in which such local improvement district shall be
located.
A metropolitan municipal corporation may
provide that special benefit assessments levied in any local improvement
district may be paid into such revenue bond redemption fund or funds as may be
designated by the metropolitan council to secure the payment of revenue bonds
issued to provide funds to pay the cost of improvements for which such
assessments were levied. If local improvement district assessments shall be
levied for payment into a revenue bond fund, the local improvement district
created therefor shall be designated a utility local improvement district. A
metropolitan municipal corporation that creates a utility local improvement
district shall conform with the laws relating to utility local improvement
districts created by a city.
Sec. 17.
RCW 35.58.520 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.520 are each amended to read as follows:
A metropolitan municipal corporation shall have
the power to invest its funds held in reserves or sinking funds or any such
funds which are not required for immediate disbursement, in ((property or
securities in which mutual savings banks may legally invest funds subject to
their control)) any investments in which a city is authorized to invest,
as provided in RCW 35.39.030.
Sec. 18.
RCW 35.58.530 and 1969 ex.s. c 135 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
Territory located within a component county
that is annexed to a component city after the establishment of a
metropolitan municipal corporation shall by such act be annexed to ((such))
the metropolitan municipal corporation. Territory within a metropolitan
municipal corporation may be annexed to a city which is not within such
metropolitan municipal corporation in the manner provided by law and in such
event either (1) such city may be annexed to such metropolitan municipal
corporation by ordinance of the legislative body of the city concurred in by
resolution of the metropolitan council, or (2) if such city shall not be so
annexed such territory shall remain within the metropolitan municipal
corporation unless such city shall by resolution of its legislative body
request the withdrawal of such territory subject to any outstanding
indebtedness of the metropolitan corporation and the metropolitan council shall
by resolution consent to such withdrawal.
Any territory located within a component
county that is contiguous to a metropolitan municipal corporation and lying
wholly within an incorporated city or town may be annexed to such metropolitan
municipal corporation by ordinance of the legislative body of such city or town
requesting such annexation concurred in by resolution of the metropolitan
council.
Any other territory located within a
component county that is adjacent to a metropolitan municipal corporation
may be annexed thereto by vote of the qualified electors residing in the
territory to be annexed, in the manner provided in this chapter. An election
to annex such territory may be called pursuant to a petition or resolution in
the following manner:
(1) A petition calling for such an election
shall be signed by at least four percent of the qualified voters residing
within the territory to be annexed and shall be filed with the auditor of the
central county.
(2) A resolution calling for such an election
may be adopted by the metropolitan council.
Any resolution or petition calling for such an
election shall describe the boundaries of the territory to be annexed, and
state that the annexation of such territory to the metropolitan municipal
corporation will be conducive to the welfare and benefit of the persons or
property within the metropolitan municipal corporation and within the territory
proposed to be annexed.
Upon receipt of such a petition, the auditor
shall examine the same and certify to the sufficiency of the signatures
thereon. ((For the purpose of examining the signatures on such petition,
the auditor shall be permitted access to the voter registration books of each
city within the territory proposed to be annexed and of each county a portion
of which shall be located within the territory proposed to be annexed. No
person may withdraw his name from a petition after it has been filed with the
auditor.)) Within thirty days following the receipt of such petition, the
auditor shall transmit the same to the metropolitan council, together with his
certificate as to the sufficiency thereof.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 19.
The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
(1) RCW
35.58.118 and 1971 ex.s. c 303 s 4 & 1967 c 105 s 10;
(2) RCW
35.58.440 and 1965 c 7 s 35.58.440; and
(3) RCW
35A.57.010 and 1967 ex.s. c 119 s 35A.57.010.
