FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 5238

C 63 L 01

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying the board of commissioners of a water‑sewer district.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, Johnson, McCaslin, Haugen and Fairley).

Senate Committee on State & Local Government

House Committee on Local Government & Housing

Background:  A sewer district with a three-member board may expand from three to five members  in two ways:  by submitting a proposition to the voters; or if the sewer district has more than 10,000 customers, by a resolution passed by the board.

Summary:  In a sewer district of more than 25,000 customers, the sewer district board may expand from five members to seven members.  The sewer district board may increase its membership either through a simple resolution by the majority of the commissioners or the board may submit the resolution to increase the membership to the county auditor to be voted on at a special election and will pass with a majority vote.

Sewer districts board membership may be decreased from seven to five members or five to three members.  If the board passes a resolution to decrease its membership, it must submit the resolution to the county auditor to be voted on at a special election.  The decrease in membership requires a majority vote to pass the election.

The water-sewer district commissioners association=s statutory authority is removed.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate490

House     91 0

Effective:  July 22, 2001