HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2369

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to elections in cities with a commission plan of government.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions for elections in cities with a commission plan of government.

Sponsors:  Representatives Foreman, Sheldon, Basich and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, January 27, 1994, DP;

  Passed House, February 4, 1994, 91-0;

  Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives H. Myers, Chair; Springer, Vice Chair; Edmondson, Ranking Minority Member; Reams, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dunshee; R. Fisher; Horn; Moak; Rayburn; Van Luven and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  A second class city or third class city with a population of from 2,000 to less than 30,000 may adopt a commission plan of government with a governing body composed of three commissioners.  Commissioners possess policy-making powers, as well as administrative and executive powers.  A non-code city that changes its classification to a code city may retain its prior plan of government or choose to operate under one of the two plans of government specified for code cities.

Commissioners are elected to four-year terms of office at the same general election once every four years in an odd-numbered year.  There is no staggering of terms of office.

Wenatchee, Shelton, and Raymond are the only cities operating under a commission plan of government.  Each of these three cities is a code city that opted to retain the commission plan of government when the city became a code city.

Summary of Bill:  City commissioners are elected to staggered terms of office.

The staggering occurs at the next general election when commissioners are elected occurring in 1995 or 1997, when all three commissioners positions are filed.  The two commissioners who are elected receiving the greatest numbers of votes are elected to four-year terms of office and the other commissioner who is elected is elected to a two-year term of office.  Thereafter, all commissioners are elected to four-year terms of office.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This will provide for some continuity at each election.  Recently, two of these cities had three new persons elected as commissioners.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representatives Foreman and Sheldon, prime sponsors; Joyce Jaros, Mayor, city of Shelton; Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities; and Nancy Reznicek, Wenatchee Chamber of Commerce.