SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1726

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Hine, Ferguson, Nelson, Brough, H. Sommers, Valle, Holland, Rust, Appelwick, Locke, Heavey, Miller, May, Lux, Brekke, Todd, O'Brien, Patrick, Wineberry, Crane, Cantwell, Anderson, Jacobsen, J. Williams, Leonard, Armstrong, P. King, Barnes, Betrozoff, Cole, Haugen, Fisher, Nutley and Unsoeld)

Revising membership on metropolitan councils.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):

Senate Staff:Eugene Green (786-7405)

AS OF FEBRUARY 12, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Metropolitan municipal corporations were created to provide the means of obtaining essential services not adequately provided by existing agencies of local government for populous areas of the state.  A proposition for formation of a metropolitan municipal corporation must be put to the people.  If a majority of the persons voting on the proposition residing within the central city (the city with the largest population in the metropolitan area) vote in favor and a majority of persons voting on the proposition residing in the metropolitan area outside of the central city vote in favor, the metropolitan municipal corporation is established.

A metropolitan municipal corporation may be authorized to perform any one or more of the following metropolitan activities:  (1) water pollution abatement; (2) water supply; (3) public transportation; (4) garbage disposal; (5) parks and parkways; and (6) comprehensive planning.

A metropolitan municipal corporation is a federated government governed by a metropolitan council.  Currently, the only functioning metropolitan municipal corporation is the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (METRO).  Its boundaries are coterminous with those of King County.  METRO performs two metropolitan functions:  water pollution abatement, and public transportation.  Its 40-member metropolitan council (38 for public transportation) is composed as follows:

      (1)Elected county executive of central county -- 1

      (2)One additional member from each county council district which shall contain 15,000 or more population, who shall be the county council person -- 9

      (3)One additional member selected by county legislative authority for each council district with at least 15,000 unincorporated population, who shall be from unincorporated area of district -- 8

      (4)One member from each city with a population of 15,000 or more [Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Renton, Seattle] who shall be mayor (or councilmember) -- 8

      (5)One member representing all cities which have less than 15,000 population each, selected by and from mayors of those cities -- 1

      (6)One additional member selected by the city council of each city containing a population of 15,000 or more for each 50,000 population over and above the first 15,000 [Seattle -- 9; Bellevue -- 1] -- 10

      (7)Any metropolitan municipal corporation performing function of metropolitan water pollution abatement shall have two additional members who shall be appointed by and from commissioners of sewer districts or water districts which operate a sewer system -- 2

      (8)One member, who shall be chairman of the metropolitan council, selected by the other members of the council -- 1

Compensation for members of a metro council is as follows:

      (1)Full time, elected officials receive no salary and no per diem compensation, but are reimbursed for expenses;

      (2)The chair receives a salary established by the council the amount of which is not limited by statute, and is also reimbursed for expenses;

      (3)Committee chairs receive a salary established by the council that cannot exceed one-third of the salary of the county council salary, and are also reimbursed for expenses; and

      (4)Other members do not receive a salary, but receive a per diem rate of compensation, in addition to any compensation that might be received from being a part-time official for another local government, of not to exceed $50 per day for metro work, with an annual ceiling of $4800 per year, and are also reimbursed for expenses.

SUMMARY:

The composition of a metro council is changed to a 21 member body, nine of whom are elected directly to the council and 12 of whom serve on an ex-officio basis by virtue of being county, city or town elected officials.

The directly elected members are elected from county council districts if the boundaries of a metro are coterminous with the boundaries of a county that has nine county legislative authority districts, as is the case with King County.  Otherwise, the metro council divides the metro into nine districts with approximately the same population for such election purposes.

The 12 ex officio members are elected officials of the central county, central city, and other component cities within the metro.  The ex officio members are distributed among these governments in direct proportion to the populations of these governments, with the population of the unincorporated area of the metro being ascribed to the central county.  The distribution of these ex officio positions is subject to potential revision in proportion to their respective populations every five years and whenever the proportionate share of the populations of these three entities is altered by 10 percent or more.

The ex officio members on the metro council for Seattle Metro includes five members from the central county, four members from the central city, and three members from the other component cities.  However, the existing metro council could alter this distribution if such action is taken on or before December 1, 1988, by a simple majority vote of the entire existing metro council.  The new metro council assumes jurisdiction over Seattle Metro on January 1, 1989.

Ex officio members from the central county consist of the county executive, if one exists, and the remainder shall be those members of the county legislative authority who are elected from districts having the greatest number of unincorporated area residents.  If such districts do not exist, the county council selects the officials.  Ex officio members of the central city include the mayor and the remainder shall be selected by the central city council.  Ex officio members from the other component cities include the mayor of the largest other component city, and the remainder shall be selected by the mayors of these other component cities.

Compensation for metro council members consists of both a salary and per diem compensation.  The salary for each council member varies with the extent of the metro's expenditures in the previous year as follows:  (1) $500 per month, if expenditures in the previous year were in excess of $15 million; (2) $350 per month, if expenditures in the previous year were from $2 million to $15 million; and (3) none in other metros, unless the council establishes a salary that cannot exceed $200 per month.  The council can reduce the salary level.  Each metro council member also receives per diem compensation of $50 for attending metro meetings or for performing other work for the metro, not to exceed $7,000 in any year.  Metro council members who are full- time elected officials for another local government receive the salary but do not receive per diem compensation, with the other local government for which such a council member is an elected official receiving his or her per diem compensation.  All metro council members are reimbursed for expenses.

The chair of the metro council is chosen by the council from among its directly elected members.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested