H-830                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 193

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Madsen, Winsley, Haugen, Ebersole, Wang, Walker, Walk, Fisher, Gallagher, Brough, Crane, Grimm, Pruitt, Meyers, Rasmussen, Todd, Fisch, Holm, Spanel, Unsoeld and Hine

Read first time 1/20/87 and referred to Committee on Local Government.

AN ACT Relating to deannexation of territory from metropolitan park districts; and adding a new section to chapter 35.61 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 35.61 RCW to read as follows:

          Territory may be deannexed from a metropolitan park district as provided in this section.  A deannexation shall be initiated by the board of park commissioners adopting a resolution proposing the action and finding why this action is in the public interest.  The county legislative authority must hold a public hearing on the proposal and approve, or disapprove, the proposal if the territory in the county that is proposed to be deannexed is located outside of a city.  The city council must hold a public hearing on the proposal and approve, or disapprove, the proposal if the territory proposed  to be deannexed is located in the city.

          If the proposed deannexation is so approved, the deannexation shall occur forty-five days after the park commissioners publish notice of the deannexation in a newspaper in general  circulation within the area proposed to be deannexed, unless a petition opposing the deannexation is filed with the park commissioners within thirty days after the date of publication, which petition has been signed by registered voters residing in the area equal in number to at least ten percent of the total number of registered voters residing in the area.  Notice of the proposed deannexation also shall be posted in at least four conspicuous places in the area proposed to be deannexed on or before the date of publishing the notice.

          The park commissioners shall immediately transfer the petition to the county auditor.  A ballot proposition authorizing the proposed deannexation shall be submitted to the voters residing in the area proposed to be deannexed at the next special election date specified in RCW 29.13.020 that occurs sixty or more days after the county auditor has certified that the petition contains sufficient valid signatures.  The deannexation shall occur when the election results are certified if the ballot proposition authorizing the deannexation is approved by a simple majority vote.

          Property so deannexed shall remain subject to excess property tax levies authorized to retire general obligation bonds.