H-3845.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2562

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representatives D. Schmidt, Scott and Wensman

Read first time 01/15/98.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Specifying the number of signatures required on a petition to place on the ballot the question of changing the name of a port district.

    AN ACT Relating to specifying the number of signatures required on a petition to place on the ballot the question of changing the name of a port district; and amending RCW 53.04.110.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 53.04.110 and 1990 c 259 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

    Any port district now existing or which may hereafter be organized under the laws of the state of Washington is hereby authorized to change its corporate name under the following conditions and in the following manner:

    (1) On presentation, at least forty-five days before any general port election to be held in the port district, of a petition to the commissioners of any port district now existing or which may hereafter be established under the laws of the state of Washington, signed by ((not less than two hundred fifty registered voters residing within the port district)) at least ten percent of the total number of voters of the port district who voted at the last general port election and asking that the corporate name of the port district be changed, it shall be the duty of the commissioners to submit to the voters of the port district at the next general port election held in the port district in accordance with RCW 29.13.010 and 29.13.020 the proposition as to whether the corporate name of the port shall be changed.

    (2) The petition shall contain the present corporate name of the port district and the corporate name which is proposed to be given to the port district.

    (3) On submitting the proposition to the voters of the port district it shall be the duty of the port commissioners to cause to be printed on the official ballot used at the election the following proposition:

"Shall the corporate name, 'Port of . . . . . .' be changed to 'Port of . . . . . . . . .'........................................ YES

"Shall the corporate name, 'Port of . . . . . .' be changed to 'Port of . . . . . . . . .'........................................ NO"

    (4) At the time when the returns of the general election shall be canvassed by the commissioners of the port district, it shall be the duty of the commissioners to canvass the vote upon the proposition so submitted, recording in their record the result of the canvass.

    (5) Should a majority of the registered voters of the port district voting at the general port election vote in favor of the proposition it shall be the duty of the port commissioners to certify the fact to the auditor of the county in which the port district shall be situated and to the secretary of state of the state of Washington, under the seal of the port district.  On and after the filing of the certificate with the county auditor as aforesaid and with the secretary of state of the state of Washington, the corporate name of the port district shall be changed, and thenceforth the port district shall be known and designated in accordance therewith.

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