| Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research |
BILL ANALYSIS |
| Local Government Committee | |
HB 1795
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
Brief Description: Providing voting proportional to population on boards of certain intercounty library districts.
Sponsors: Representatives Williams, DeBolt and Alexander.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/9/07
Staff: Jessica Nowakowski (786-7291).
Background:
An intercounty rural library district (district) is a municipal corporation organized to provide
library service for all areas outside of incorporated cities and towns within two or more counties.
Cities or towns meeting specified criteria, however, may be included within a district. Districts
may be established by joint action of two or more counties through methods requiring voter or
legislative authority approval. The management and control of an intercounty rural library
district is vested in a board of either five or seven trustees who are appointed by the boards of
county commissioners of each of the counties within the district.
Summary of Bill:
The board of a district must adopt procedures for the proportional distribution of trustee votes,
including procedures ensuring that voting rights of trustees from the same county are shared
equally. Boards are required to adopt these procedures only in districts where a county has a
population exceeding fifty percent of the total district population and fewer than fifty percent of
the trustees of that district are residents of that county.
Counties meeting the standards must allocate the votes of the trustees to the nearest one-tenth of
one percent among the trustees of the counties comprising the district. The total number of
trustee votes is not modified, but must be assigned in direct proportion to the population of each
county with respect to district population, excluding incorporated areas that are not part of the
district. Population determinations are to be determined by the most recent federal decennial
census. The Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for enforcing the allocation
provisions.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.