H-0137.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1477

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Dunshee, Mulliken, Lantz, Rockefeller, G. Chandler, Cooper and McIntire

Read first time 01/26/2001.  Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

Allowing counties to impose taxes for emergency communication systems.

    AN ACT Relating to the imposition of taxes by counties for emergency communication systems and facilities; and adding a new section to chapter 82.14 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 82.14 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A county legislative authority may submit an authorizing proposition to the county voters, and if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting, fix and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter for the purposes designated in subsection (3) of this section.

    (2) The tax authorized in this section shall be in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and shall be collected from those persons who are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within the county.  The rate of tax shall equal one-tenth of one percent of the selling price in the case of sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

    (3) Moneys received from any tax imposed under this section shall be used solely for the purpose of providing funds for costs associated with financing, design, acquisition, construction, equipping, operating, maintaining, remodeling, repairing, reequipping, and improvement of emergency communication systems and facilities.

    (4) Counties are authorized to develop joint ventures to collocate emergency communication systems and facilities.

    (5) A governmental agency that contracts with the county shall have its contract amounts reduced by the same percentage that results in reduced operating contributions from the county general fund due to the money collected from this tax.

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