BILL REQ. #:  H-0424.1 

Read first time 02/06/2003.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to requiring voter approval for port district property taxes; and amending RCW 53.36.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 53.36.020 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 195 s 56 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, a port district may raise revenue by levy of an annual tax not to exceed forty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value against the assessed valuation of the taxable property in such port district for general port purposes, including the establishment of a capital improvement fund for future capital improvements, except that any levy for the payment of the principal and interest of the general bonded indebtedness of the port district shall be in excess of any levy made by the port district under the forty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value limitation. The levy shall be made and taxes collected in the manner provided for the levy and collection of taxes in school districts of the first class.
     (2) A port district may impose a levy under subsection (1) of this section if a ballot proposition authorizing the levy to be imposed has been approved by a simple majority vote of voters of the district voting on the ballot proposition at a general or special election in the year in which the levy is first imposed. The tax may be imposed annually for a period of up to four years. However, a port district may continue imposing property levies under subsection (1) of this section without obtaining voter approval, but only for the purpose of making interest and principal payments on the general indebtedness incurred before the effective date of this act to avoid the impairment of a contract.