FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1639

                                   C 63 L 89

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Dorn, Ferguson, Cooper, R. Meyers, Haugen, Zellinsky and Rasmussen)

Regulating fire districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Fire protection districts are special districts authorized to perform fire suppression and emergency medical services.  Fire protection districts have annexation powers.  It is doubtful that these powers extend to territory located in more than one county.  In 1987, two fire protection districts each annexed adjacent territory that was located in another county.  The Department of Revenue would not permit these two districts to impose their property taxes in the newly annexed territory.  Legislation was enacted in 1988 that permitted the collection of such property taxes, but general fire protection district laws were not altered to provide expressly that a fire protection district may include territory located in more than one county.

Fire protection districts are governed by either a three member or five member board of commissioners who are elected to six- year staggered terms at general elections held in odd-numbered years.

Some fire protection district election statutes vary from general election laws.

SUMMARY:

Fire protection districts are authorized expressly to include territory located in more than a single county within their boundaries.  In specified instances, the county official of the county in which the largest portion of a fire protection district is located becomes the lead official for various actions.

Fire protection district election statutes are altered to conform with general election laws.

Duplicate hearings by both a boundary review board and the county legislative authority are eliminated on proposed incorporations of fire protection districts and annexations by fire protection districts.  References to boundary review board statutes are made in fire protection district statutes.

Statutes concerning vacancies on boards of fire commissioners are altered to conform with general laws.

The direct property owner petition method for fire protection districts to annex territory is altered to require approval by the county legislative authority to the same extent as such approval is made for fire protection district annexations involving an election.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 96   0

      Senate    45     0

EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989