SENATE BILL REPORT

SHJR 4210

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haugen, Brough, Belcher, May, Hine, Dellwo, Ferguson, Nutley, Bristow, Cooper, Holm, L. Smith and Unsoeld)

Establishing procedures for the adoption of county home rule charters.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 22, 1988

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Zimmerman, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, Garrett, Halsan.

Senate Staff:Eugene Green (786-7405)

                  February 23, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, FEBRUARY 22, 1988

BACKGROUND:

The state constitution requires that the Legislature establish a system of county government for every noncharter county.

The constitution permits any county to frame and adopt a "Home Rule" charter under a procedure that involves the election of a board of freeholders who frame a proposed charter to revise county government.  The proposed charter is then submitted to the voters of the county for their approval or rejection.  At present, five of the thirty-nine counties operate under a county charter (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Whatcom and Clallam).

SUMMARY:

An alternative method is provided for placing a proposed county "Home Rule" charter before the voters for their approval or rejection. The Legislature is required to create a temporary commission of fifteen members to draft five alternative county charters revising county government.  The commission may not exist more than one year.  The members are to be appointed by the governor.  One-third of the commission members must be members of the Legislature, one third must be elected county officials, and one third must be members of the public.  As far as practical, the commission must be representative of the state's geographic areas and demographic distribution.

A single alternative charter drafted by the commission may be submitted to the voters of any county to approve or reject upon either passage of an ordinance by the county legislative authority providing for the submission or the filing of a petition calling for such a submission.  The petition must have been signed by registered voters of the county equal in number to 10 percent of the voters voting at the last preceding general election in the county.  Upon approval by the voters, the charter becomes the organic law of the county.

A new commission could be created by the Legislature to redraft any of the alternative charters.

The ballot title is provided in the joint resolution, and shall be:  "Shall additional procedures be permitted to simplify the process by which a proposed county charter is placed upon the ballot?"

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENTS:

The ballot title is revised and language is inserted to assure that a home rule charter drafted under this alternative procedure contains no powers or rights that are not granted under the existing freeholder procedure.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Gary Lowe, Washington State Association of Counties