1963 AMH ANDG H2329.4

HB 1963 - H AMD 248

By Representative Anderson

On page 4, after line 13, strike the remainder of the bill and insert the following:

"Sec. 2. RCW 81.112.040 and 1994 c 109 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) The regional transit authority shall be governed by a board ((consisting of representatives appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the council or other legislative authority of each member county. Membership shall be based on population from that portion of each county which lies within the service area. Board members shall be appointed initially on the basis of one for each one hundred forty-five thousand population within the county. Such appointments shall be made following consultation with city and town jurisdictions within the service area. In addition, the secretary of transportation or the secretary's designee shall serve as a member of the board and may have voting status with approval of a majority of the other members of the board. Only board members, not including alternates or designees, may cast votes.

Each member of the board, except the secretary of transportation or the secretary's designee, shall be:

(a) An elected official who serves on the legislative authority of a city or as mayor of a city within the boundaries of the authority;

(b) On the legislative authority of the county, if fifty percent of the population of the legislative official's district is within the authority boundaries; or

When making appointments, each county executive shall ensure that representation on the board includes an elected city official representing the largest city in each county and assures proportional representation from other cities, and representation from unincorporated areas of each county within the service area. At least one-half of all appointees from each county shall serve on the governing authority of a public transportation system.

Members appointed from each county shall serve staggered four-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term of the position being vacated.

The governing board shall be reconstituted, with regard to the number of representatives from each county, on a population basis, using the official office of financial management population estimates, five years after its initial formation and, at minimum, in the year following each official federal census. The board membership may be reduced, maintained, or expanded to reflect population changes but under no circumstances may the board membership exceed twenty-five)) of seven elected members, nominated and elected on a nonpartisan basis.

(b) Nomination will be by the voters of a prospective member's district in a primary election, but election will be by all voters of the authority at a general election. Before the initial election of board members, and in the year after the federal decennial census, the appropriate county legislative authorities, acting collectively, shall (i) define the boundaries of each member district so that all districts have populations as near equal as practicable, and (ii) determine board member part-time salaries.

(c) At the initial election, four members will be elected for terms of four years and three members will be elected for two-year terms. Thereafter, each member will be elected for a term of four years and shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified.

(d) A vacancy in the office of a board member occurs as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW or by nonattendance at meetings of the board for a period of sixty days unless excused by a majority of the board.

(e) The initial nomination and election of board members under this section will take place in 2003 at the times provided for other elected officials, and the terms of the members elected starts January 1, 2004.

(f) The state election laws contained in Title 29 RCW apply to elections held under this section.

(g) The election officials of the county or counties in which the district is located shall conduct the election in accordance with the election laws of the state. Board districts will be used as follows: (i) Only a registered voter who resides in a district may be a candidate for, or serve as, a board member of the board district; and (ii) only voters of a board district may vote at a primary to nominate candidates.

(h) Vacancies will be filled by appointment by the legislative authority of the county in which the board district is primarily located.

(2) Major decisions of the authority ((shall)) require a favorable vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the voting members. "Major decisions" include at least the following: System plan adoption and amendment; system phasing decisions; annual budget adoption; authorization of annexations; modification of board composition; and executive director employment.

(3) Each member of the board is eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 ((and to receive compensation as provided in RCW 43.03.250))."

Correct the title.

EFFECT: Effective January 1, 2004, the governing board for a Regional Transit Authority is an elected seven-member board. The legislative authorities of participating counties are to draw boundaries for member districts and to set part-time salaries. The members are to be selected in the primary and general elections, are nonpartisan, and four will be elected to four-year terms and three elected to two-year terms. Vacancies are to be filled by the county legislative authority of the county in which the district is primarily located and the board member must be a resident of the board district.

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