AN ACT Relating to the petition-based annexation method for owners of property within a city or town that seek annexation to another city or town; and amending RCW 35.10.217.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 35.10.217 and 1986 c 253 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The following methods are available for the annexation of all or a part of a city or town to another city or town:

(1) A petition for an election to vote upon the annexation, which proposed annexation is approved by the legislative body of the city or town from which the territory will be taken, may be submitted to the legislative body of the city or town to which annexation is proposed. An annexation under this subsection shall otherwise conform with the requirements for and procedures of a petition and election method of annexing unincorporated territory under chapter 35.13 RCW, except for the requirement for the approval of the annexation by the city or town from which the territory would be taken.

(2) The legislative body of a city or town may on its own initiative by resolution indicate its desire to be annexed to a city or town either in whole or in part, or the legislative body of a city or town proposing to annex all or part of another city or town may initiate the annexation by adopting a resolution indicating that desire. In case such resolution is passed, such resolution shall be transmitted to the other affected city or town. The annexation is effective if the other city or town adopts a resolution concurring in the annexation, unless the owners of property in the area proposed to be annexed, equal in value to sixty percent or more of the assessed valuation of the property in the area, protest the proposed annexation in writing to the legislative body of the city or town proposing to annex the area, within thirty days of the adoption of the second resolution accepting the annexation. Notices of the public hearing at which the second resolution is adopted shall be mailed to the owners of the property within the area proposed to be annexed in the same manner that notices of a hearing on a proposed local improvement district are required to be mailed by a city or town as provided in chapter 35.43 RCW. An annexation under this subsection shall be potentially subject to review by a boundary review board or other annexation review board after the adoption of the initial resolution, and the second resolution may not be adopted until the proposed annexation has been approved by the board.

(3) The owners of property located in a city or town may petition for annexation to another city or town. An annexation under this subsection shall conform with the requirements for and procedures of a direct petition method of annexing unincorporated territory, except that: (a) The legislative body of the city or town from which the territory would be taken must approve the annexation before it may proceed; and (b) a decision by a city or town legislative body to reject the annexation proposal, either before or after the circulation of petitions, may be appealed to the legislative body of the city or town rejecting the proposal within ninety days of the issuance of a rejection decision.

(4) All annexations under this section are subject to potential review by the local boundary review board or annexation review board.

--- END ---