HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 1639

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

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Ferguson, Ranking Republican Member; Horn, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Phillips, Rayburn, Todd, Wolfe, Wood and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 6, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Fire protection districts are special districts authorized to perform fire suppression and emergency medical services.  Fire protection districts may not include any territory located in a city or town, unless the district has annexed the city or town.  The statutes relating to fire protection districts refer to the county auditor or treasurer within which the district is located, giving the inference that a fire protection district may not 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.

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.

SUMMARY:

Fire protection districts are authorized expressly to include territory located in more than a single county within their boundaries.  Various fire protection district statutes are altered to refer to either the particular county official of the county or counties in which the district is located, or to the particular county official of the county in which all, or the largest portion, of the district is located. In certain 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 on proposed incorporations of fire protection districts, or annexations by fire protection districts are eliminated.  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 extend as such approval is made for fire protection district annexations involving an election.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    John Pearson, Secretary of State's Office; and Roger Ferris, Washington Fire Commissioners Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This clarifies that fire districts can include territory located in more than one county.  This alters specific fire protection district laws to conform with general election laws.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.