SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5006

BYSenator Moore

Providing for the election of members of existing metropolitan municipal corporation councils.

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 26, 1987; March 4, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5006 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Halsan, Chairman; Garrett, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, Talmadge.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.

      Signed by Senator Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Eugene Green (786-7405); Walt Corneille (786-7452)

                  March 6, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 4, 1987

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 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 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.

SUMMARY:

A metropolitan municipal corporation in existence on the effective date of this act shall be governed by a metropolitan council consisting of 35 members elected by districts established by the legislative authority of the central county.  They shall hold office for a term of four years.  Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the legislative authority of the central county.

The members elected to positions on the metropolitan council shall be elected in the November 1987 general election.

A metropolitan municipal corporation created after the effective date of this act shall be governed by a metropolitan council composed under existing law.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

1) A proposition must be submitted to the voters of the metropolitan municipal corporation and approved in order to effectuate sections 1 through 6.  The proposition must pass in the central city (Seattle) and in the area outside of the central city.  The proposition must be submitted to the voters in November, 1987.

2) Metropolitan municipal corporations engaged in transmission, treatment and disposal of sewage may impose a charge on property owners seeking to connect to sewage facilities.  The charge will be established by the metropolitan municipal corporation's governing council.  It may not exceed the proportionate share of the system's capital cost attributable to the property being charged.

The charge will be a lien against the property being served and may be collected in any manner available to sewer districts.

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Scott Smith; Doreen Marchione, METRO and King County Suburban Cities; Margaret Ceis, Site Alternatives Coalition; Kent Swisher, Association of Washington Cities; Larry Lael, SBCCE; Bill Mudge, Washington State Association of Sewer Districts