AN ACT Relating to
regional transit authority propositions; and amending RCW 81.112.030.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 81.112.030 and 1993
sp.s. c 23 s 62 are each amended to read as follows:
Two or more contiguous
counties each having a population of four hundred thousand persons or more may
establish a regional transit authority to develop and operate a high capacity
transportation system as defined in chapter 81.104 RCW.
The authority shall be
formed in the following manner:
(1) The joint regional
policy committee created pursuant to RCW 81.104.040 shall adopt a system and
financing plan, including the definition of the service area. This action
shall be completed by September 1, 1992, contingent upon satisfactory
completion of the planning process defined in RCW 81.104.100. The final system
plan shall be adopted no later than June 30, 1993. In addition to the
requirements of RCW 81.104.100, the plan for the proposed system shall provide
explicitly for a minimum portion of new tax revenues to be allocated to local
transit agencies for interim express services. Upon adoption the joint
regional policy committee shall immediately transmit the plan to the county
legislative authorities within the adopted service area.
(2) The legislative
authorities of the counties within the service area shall decide by resolution
whether to participate in the authority. This action shall be completed within
forty-five days following receipt of the adopted plan or by August 13, 1993,
whichever comes first.
(3) Each county that
chooses to participate in the authority shall appoint its board members as set
forth in RCW 81.112.040 and shall submit its list of members to the secretary
of the Washington state department of transportation. These actions must be
completed within thirty days following each county's decision to participate in
the authority.
(4) The secretary shall
call the first meeting of the authority, to be held within thirty days
following receipt of the appointments. At its first meeting, the authority
shall elect officers and provide for the adoption of rules and other operating
procedures.
(5) The authority is formally
constituted at its first meeting and the board shall begin taking steps toward
implementation of the system and financing plan adopted by the joint regional
policy committee. If the joint regional policy committee fails to adopt a plan
by June 30, 1993, the authority shall proceed to do so based on the work
completed by that date by the joint regional policy committee. Upon formation
of the authority, the joint regional policy committee shall cease to exist.
The authority may make minor modifications to the plan as deemed necessary and
shall at a minimum review local transit agencies' plans to ensure feeder
service/high capacity transit service integration, ensure fare integration, and
ensure avoidance of parallel competitive services. The authority shall also
conduct a minimum thirty-day public comment period.
(6) If the authority
determines that major modifications to the plan are necessary before ((being))
the initial ballot proposition is submitted to the voters, the authority
may make those modifications with a favorable vote of two-thirds of the entire
membership. Any such modification shall be subject to the review process set
forth in RCW 81.104.110. The modified plan shall be transmitted to the
legislative authorities of the participating counties. The legislative
authorities shall have forty-five days following receipt to act by motion or
ordinance to confirm or rescind their continued participation in the
authority.
(7) If any county opts
to not participate in the authority, but two or more contiguous counties do
choose to continue to participate, the authority's board shall be revised
accordingly. The authority shall, within forty-five days, redefine the system
and financing plan to reflect elimination of one or more counties, and submit
the redefined plan to the legislative authorities of the remaining counties for
their decision as to whether to continue to participate. This action shall be
completed within forty-five days following receipt of the redefined plan.
(8) The authority shall
place on the ballot within two years of the authority's formation, a single
ballot proposition to ((approve the system and finance plan and))
authorize the imposition of ((the)) taxes to support the
implementation of an appropriate phase of the plan within its service
area. In addition to the system plan requirements contained in RCW
81.104.100(2)(d), the system plan ((submitted to voters)) approved by
the authority's board before the submittal of a proposition to the voters
shall contain an equity element which:
(a) Identifies revenues
anticipated to be generated by corridor and by county within the authority's
boundaries;
(b) Identifies the
phasing of construction and operation of high capacity system facilities,
services, and benefits in each corridor. Phasing decisions should give
priority to jurisdictions which have adopted transit-supportive land use plans;
and
(c) Identifies the
degree to which revenues generated within each county will benefit the
residents of that county, and identifies when such benefits will accrue.
A simple majority of
those voting within the boundaries of the authority is required for approval.
If the vote is affirmative, the authority shall begin implementation of the ((plan))
projects identified in the proposition. However, the authority may not
submit any authorizing proposition for voter-approved taxes prior to July 1,
1993; nor may the authority issue bonds or form any local improvement district
prior to July 1, 1993.
(9) If the vote on a
proposition fails, the board may redefine the ((system and financing
plan)) proposition, make changes to the authority boundaries, and
make corresponding changes to the composition of the board. If the composition
of the board is changed, the participating counties shall revise the membership
of the board accordingly. The board may then submit the revised ((plan))
proposition or a different proposition to the voters. No single
((system and financing plan)) proposition may be submitted to the
voters more than twice. The authority may place additional propositions on
the ballot to impose taxes to support additional phases of plan implementation.
If the
authority is unable to achieve a positive vote on a proposition within
two years from the date of the first election on a ((system plan)) proposition,
the board may, by resolution, reconstitute the authority as a single-county
body. With a two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the voting members,
the board may also dissolve the authority.
