[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to changing the voting requirements for creating a lake management district; and amending RCW 36.61.030, 36.61.090, 36.61.100, and 36.61.115.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 36.61.030 and 1987 c 432 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

A lake management district may be initiated upon either the adoption of a resolution of intention by a county legislative authority or the filing of a petition signed by ((~~ten landowners or the owners of at least fifteen percent of the acreage~~)) a simple majority of over fifty percent of the landowners contained within the proposed lake management district((~~, whichever is greater~~)). A petition or resolution of intention shall set forth: (1) The nature of the lake improvement or maintenance activities proposed to be financed; (2) the amount of money proposed to be raised by special assessments or rates and charges; (3) if special assessments are to be imposed, whether the special assessments will be imposed annually for the duration of the lake management district, or the full special assessments will be imposed at one time, with the possibility of installments being made to finance the issuance of lake management district bonds, or both methods; (4) if rates and charges are to be imposed, the annual amount of revenue proposed to be collected and whether revenue bonds payable from the rates and charges are proposed to be issued; (5) the number of years proposed for the duration of the lake management district; and (6) the proposed boundaries of the lake management district.

The county legislative authority may require the posting of a bond of up to five thousand dollars before the county considers the proposed creation of a lake management district initiated by petition. The bond may only be used by the county to finance its costs in studying, holding hearings, making notices, preparing special assessment rolls or rolls showing the rates and charges on each parcel, and conducting elections related to the lake management district if the proposed lake management district is not created.

A resolution of intention shall also designate the number of the proposed lake management district, and fix a date, time, and place for a public hearing on the formation of the proposed lake management district. The date for the public hearing shall be at least thirty days and no more than ninety days after the adoption of the resolution of intention unless an emergency exists.

Petitions shall be filed with the county legislative authority. The county legislative authority shall determine the sufficiency of the signatures, which shall be conclusive upon all persons. No person may withdraw his or her name from a petition after it is filed. If the county legislative authority determines a petition to be sufficient and the proposed lake management district appears to be in the public interest and the financing of the lake improvement or maintenance activities is feasible, it shall adopt a resolution of intention, setting forth all of the details required to be included when a resolution of intention is initiated by the county legislative authority.

Sec. 2. RCW 36.61.090 and 1987 c 432 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

The balloting shall be subject to the following conditions, which shall be included in the instructions mailed with each ballot, as provided in RCW 36.61.080: (1) All ballots must be signed by the owner or reputed owner of property according to the assessor's tax rolls; (2) each ballot must be returned to the county legislative authority not later than five o'clock p.m. of a specified day, which shall be at least twenty but not more than thirty days after the ballots are mailed; (3) each property owner shall mark his or her ballot for or against the creation of the proposed lake management district((~~, with the ballot weighted so that the property owner has one vote for each dollar of estimated special assessment or rate and charge proposed to be imposed on his or her property~~)); and (4) the valid ballots shall be tabulated and a simple majority of over fifty percent of the votes cast shall determine whether the proposed lake management district shall be approved or rejected.

Sec. 3. RCW 36.61.100 and 1987 c 432 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

If the proposal receives a simple majority of over fifty percent of the vote in favor of creating the lake management district, the county legislative authority shall adopt an ordinance creating the lake management district and may proceed with establishing the special assessments or rates and charges, collecting the special assessments or rates and charges, and performing the lake improvement or maintenance activities. If a proposed lake management district includes more than one lake and its adjacent areas, the lake management district may only be established if the proposal receives a simple majority of over fifty percent of the vote in favor of creating it by the voters on each lake and its adjacent areas. The county legislative authority shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in a lake management district indicating that such an ordinance has been adopted within ten days of the adoption of the ordinance.

The ballots shall be available for public inspection after they are counted.

Sec. 4. RCW 36.61.115 and 1987 c 432 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

A special assessment, or rate and charge, on any lot, tract, parcel of land, or other property shall not be increased beyond one hundred ten percent of the estimated special assessment, or rate and charge, proposed to be imposed as provided in the resolution adopted in RCW 36.61.070, unless the creation of a lake management district is approved under another mailed ballot election that reflects the ((~~weighted~~)) voting arising from such increases.