H-3804.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2873
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State of Washington 57th Legislature 2002 Regular Session
By Representatives Reardon, Cooper, Sullivan, Morell, Lovick, Chase and Conway
Read first time 01/31/2002. Referred to Committee on Finance.
AN ACT Relating to property tax levies to support criminal justice personnel and fire protection personnel; adding a new section to chapter 84.52 RCW; and providing a contingent effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 84.52 RCW to read as follows:
(1) A county, city, town, or fire protection district may impose additional property tax levies in an amount equal to fifty cents or less per thousand dollars of the assessed value of property in the taxing district, in each year for up to ten consecutive years, when authorized so to do by the voters of the taxing district in the manner set forth in Article VII, section 2 of the Constitution of this state.
(2) Any tax imposed under this section must be used as additional resources for criminal justice personnel or fire protection personnel, or both, including related personnel costs, and training for personnel, and may not be used to supplant other sources of funding for those purposes.
(3) If a county levies a tax under this section, no taxing district within the county may levy a tax under this section. No other taxing district may levy a tax under this section if another taxing district has levied a tax under this section within its boundaries. The limitations in this subsection (3) do not apply in the following instances:
(a) If a county levies less than fifty cents per thousand dollars of the assessed value of property, then any other taxing district may levy a tax under this section equal to the difference between the rate of the levy by the county and fifty cents.
(b) If a taxing district within a county levies this tax, and the voters of the county subsequently approve a levying of this tax, then the amount of the taxing district levy within the county shall be reduced, when the combined levies exceed fifty cents.
(4) No countywide levy proposal may be placed on the ballot without the approval of the legislative authority of each city exceeding fifty thousand population within the county.
(5) If a county proposes to impose tax levies under this section, no other ballot proposition authorizing tax levies under this section by another taxing district in the county may be placed before the voters at the same election at which the county ballot proposition is placed.
(6) If a ballot proposition approved under subsection (1) of this section did not impose the maximum allowable levy amount authorized for the taxing district under this section, any future increase up to the maximum allowable levy amount must be specifically authorized by the voters in accordance with subsection (1) of this section at a general or special election.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect January 1, 2003, if the proposed amendment to Article VII, section 2 of the state Constitution that authorizes multiyear excess property tax levies for the purpose of improving funding for criminal justice personnel or fire protection personnel is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by the voters at the next general election. If the proposed amendment is not approved and ratified, this act is void in its entirety.
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