BILL REQ. #:  S-0939.1 

Read first time 01/29/09.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to creation of a flood district by three or more counties; amending RCW 85.38.090; and adding a new section to chapter 85.38 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 85.38.090 and 1991 c 349 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Whenever the governing body of a special district has more than three members, the governing body shall be reduced to three members as of January 1, 1986, by eliminating the positions of those district governing body members with the shortest remaining terms of office. The remaining three governing body members shall have staggered terms with the one having the shortest remaining term having his or her position filled at the 1987 special district general election, the one with the next shortest remaining term having his or her position filled at the 1989 special district general election, and the one with the longest remaining term having his or her position filled at the 1992 special district general election. If any of these remaining three governing body members have identical remaining terms of office, the newly calculated remaining terms of these persons shall be determined by lot with the county auditor who assists the special district in its elections managing such lot procedure. The newly established terms shall be recorded by the county auditor.
     (2) However, whenever five or more special districts have consolidated under chapter 85.36 RCW and the consolidated district has five members in its governing body on July 28, 1985, the consolidated district may adopt a resolution retaining a five-member governing body. At any time thereafter, such a district may adopt a resolution and reduce the size of the governing body to three members with the reduction occurring as provided in subsection (1) of this section, but the years of the effective dates shall be extended so that the reduction occurs at the next January 1st occurring after the date of the adoption of the resolution. Whenever a special district is so governed by a five-member governing body, two members shall be elected at each of two consecutive special district general elections, and one member shall be elected at the following special district general election, each to serve a six-year staggered term.
     (3) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply to flood districts that contain three or more counties.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 85.38 RCW to read as follows:
     The following applies to flood districts that contain three or more counties:
     (1) The governing body shall include one member from each county and two additional governing members. No more than two governing members may be from one county.
     (2) The initial members of the governing body must be chosen by each county legislative authority, with each county choosing one member, and the counties with the two largest populations within the special flood district choosing one member each. These initial governing body members shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified at the next special district general election.
     (3) At this first election, the members receiving the two greatest number of votes shall serve six-year terms, the members receiving the third and fourth greatest number of votes shall serve four-year terms, and the remaining members shall serve two-year terms of office.
     (4) The requirements for the filing period and method for filing declarations of candidacy for the governing body of the district and the arrangement of candidate names on the ballot for all special district elections conducted after the initial election in the district shall be the same as the requirements for the initial election in the district. No primary elections may be held for the governing body of a special district.
     (5)(a) Whenever a vacancy occurs in the governing body, the legislative authority of the county within which the largest portion of the special flood district is located shall appoint a district voter to serve until a person is elected, at the next special district general election occurring sixty or more days after the vacancy has occurred, to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. The person so elected shall take office immediately when qualified as defined in RCW 29A.04.133.
     (b) If an election for the position which became vacant would otherwise have been held at this special district election, only one election shall be held and the person elected to fill the succeeding term for that position shall take office immediately when qualified as defined in RCW 29A.04.133 and shall serve both the remainder of the unexpired term and the succeeding term. A vacancy occurs upon the death, resignation, or incapacity of a governing body member or whenever the governing body member ceases being a qualified voter of the special district.
     (6) An elected or appointed member of a special district governing body, or a candidate for a special district governing body, must be a qualified voter of the special district: PROVIDED, That the state, its agencies and political subdivisions, or their designees under RCW 85.38.010(3) shall not be eligible for election or appointment.