[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to law enforcement service districts; and adding a new chapter to Title 36 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) One law enforcement service district may be created in the unincorporated area of a county to finance the provision of additional levels of law enforcement as provided in this chapter. A law enforcement service district is a quasi-municipal corporation and shall possess all the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes. The county legislative authority shall be the governing body of a law enforcement service district, and the county treasurer shall act as the ex officio treasurer of the service district. The voters of a law enforcement service district shall be all registered voters residing in the service district.

(2) A law enforcement service district may not provide law enforcement services itself, but may contract with a county for the provision of additional levels of law enforcement within the service district. The county sheriff shall be the chief law enforcement officer and shall be in charge of the law enforcement personnel in a law enforcement service district.

(3) Whenever territory located within a law enforcement service district is incorporated or annexed into a city or town, the area shall be removed from the law enforcement service district.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The creation of a law enforcement service district shall be initiated by either resolution of the county legislative authority, or petition of registered voters, proposing the creation of the service district. A petition shall be filed with the county legislative authority and must be signed by registered voters residing in the proposed service district equal in number to at least ten percent of the voters voting within the boundaries of the proposed service district at the last general election. The boundaries of the proposed law enforcement service district shall be countywide, excluding incorporated areas; and those boundaries shall be described on the petition or resolution, whichever method is used.

The county legislative authority shall hold a public hearing on the proposed law enforcement service district if the petition includes sufficient valid signatures, or such a resolution is adopted. Notice of the public hearing shall be published, at least once, not less than ten days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed service district. The county legislative authority shall hear objections from any affected person.

A special election shall be called by the county legislative authority, at one of the dates specified in RCW 29.13.020, to authorize the establishment of the law enforcement service district and establish the maximum rate of property tax that may be imposed by the service district, if after the public hearing the county legislative authority finds the creation of the service district to be in the public interest. The county legislative authority shall establish the maximum rate or rates and describe the particular property tax. A single ballot proposition shall include language both authorizing the creation of the law enforcement service district and authorizing the service district to impose a property tax up to a specified rate or rates equal to or less than those allowed in section 3 of this act. The law enforcement service district shall be established by resolution of the county legislative authority if this ballot proposition is approved by a simple majority of the voters voting on the proposition. The service district is authorized to impose a property tax not to exceed the maximum rate or rates described in the ballot proposition.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The county legislative authority may submit a ballot proposition to the voters of the service district to authorize an increased maximum rate of property tax, or a new property tax not previously authorized. Approval of the ballot proposition shall be by simple majority of the voters voting on the ballot proposition.

(2) A law enforcement service district may impose a property tax pursuant to Title 84 RCW, if authorized by the service district voters.

Tax receipts received by a law enforcement service district shall: (a) Be placed in a special fund to be used exclusively for financing the provision of additional levels of law enforcement in the service district; and (b) not diminish the contribution from the county general fund provided for the support of the basic level of law enforcement services that the law enforcement service district supplements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Sections 1 through 3 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 36 RCW.