BILL REQ. #:  H-0312.1 

Read first time 01/17/11.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to clarification of the method of calculating public port district commissioner compensation; and amending RCW 53.12.260.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 53.12.260 and 2007 c 469 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each commissioner of a port district shall receive ninety dollars, as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management in subsection (4) of this section, per day or portion thereof spent (a) in actual attendance at official meetings of the port district commission, or (b) in performance of other official services or duties on behalf of the district. The total per diem compensation of a port commissioner shall not exceed eight thousand six hundred forty dollars in a year, as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management in subsection (4) of this section, or ten thousand eight hundred dollars in any year, as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management in subsection (4) of this section, for a port district with gross operating income of twenty-five million or more in the preceding calendar year.
     (2) Port commissioners shall receive additional compensation as follows: (a) Each commissioner of a port district with gross operating revenues of twenty-five million dollars or more in the preceding calendar year shall receive a salary of five hundred dollars per month, as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management in subsection (4) of this section; and (b) each commissioner of a port district with gross operating revenues of from one million dollars to less than twenty-five million dollars in the preceding calendar year shall receive a salary of two hundred dollars per month, as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management in subsection (4) of this section.
     (3) In lieu of the compensation specified in this section, a port commission may set compensation to be paid to commissioners.
     (4) For any commissioner who has not elected to become a member of public employees retirement system before May 1, 1975, the compensation provided pursuant to this section shall not be considered salary for purposes of the provisions of any retirement system created pursuant to the general laws of this state nor shall attendance at such meetings or other service on behalf of the district constitute service as defined in RCW 41.40.010(((9))) (37): PROVIDED, That in the case of a port district when commissioners are receiving compensation and contributing to the public employees retirement system, these benefits shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 53.12.260 and 53.12.265.
     The dollar thresholds for salaries and per diem compensation established in this section must be adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management every five years, beginning July 1, 2008, based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, for Washington state, for wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, United States department of labor. If the bureau of labor and statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation in this section. The office of financial management must calculate the new dollar threshold and transmit it to the office of the code reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one month before the new dollar threshold is to take effect.
     A person holding office as commissioner for two or more special purpose districts shall receive only that per diem compensation authorized for one of his or her commissioner positions as compensation for attending an official meeting or conducting official services or duties while representing more than one of his or her districts. However, such commissioner may receive additional per diem compensation if approved by resolution of all boards of the affected commissions.