S-3354               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6153

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                        1989 First Special Session

By Senators Sutherland and Warnke

Read first time 5/8/89 and referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to equalization of assessments; and amending RCW 84.48.075.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 3, chapter 284, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. as last amended by section 23, chapter 222, Laws of 1988 and RCW 84.48.075 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The department of revenue shall annually, prior to the first Monday in September, determine and submit to each assessor a preliminary indicated ratio for each county:  PROVIDED, That the department shall establish rules ((and regulations)) pertinent to the determination of the indicated ratio, the indicated real property ratio and the indicated personal property ratio:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That these rules ((and regulations)) may provide that data, as is necessary for said determination, which is available from the county assessor of any county and which has been audited as to its validity by the department, shall be utilized by the department in determining the indicated ratio.

When conducting sales studies for the purpose of determining the indicated real property ratio, five percent shall be deducted from the sales price shown on the affidavit on all valid real property sales as an adjustment for values transferred that are not assessable as real property.

          (2) To such extent as is reasonable, the department may define use classes of property for the purposes of determination of the indicated ratio.  Such use classes may be defined with respect to property use and may include agricultural, open space, timber and forest lands.

          (3) The department shall review each county's preliminary ratio with the assessor, a landowner, or an owner of an intercounty public utility or private car company of that county, if requested by the assessor, a landowner, or an owner of an intercounty public utility or private car company of that county, respectively, between the first and third Mondays of September.  Prior to equalization of assessments pursuant to RCW 84.48.080 and after the third Monday of September, the department shall certify to each county assessor the real and personal property ratio for that county.

          (4) The department of revenue shall also examine procedures used by the assessor to assess real and personal property in the county, including calculations, use of prescribed value schedules, and efforts to locate all taxable property in the county.  If any examination by the department discloses other than market value is being listed on the county assessment rolls of the county by the assessor and, after due notification by the department, is not corrected, the department of revenue shall, in accordance with rules adopted by the department, adjust the ratio of that type of property, which adjustment shall be used for determining the county's indicated ratio.