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HOUSE BILL 2205
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Passed Legislature - 1994 Regular Session
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/11/94. Referred to Committee
on Local Government.
Creating urban emergency medical
service districts.
AN ACT Relating to
urban emergency medical service districts; amending RCW 84.52.069; and adding a
new section to chapter 35.21 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. A new section is added
to chapter 35.21 RCW to read as follows:
The council of a city
or town that has territory included in two counties may adopt an ordinance
creating an urban emergency medical service district in all of the portion of
the city or town that is located in one of the two counties if: (1) The county
in which the urban emergency medical service district is located does not
impose an emergency medical service levy authorized under RCW 84.52.069; and
(2) the other county in which the city or town is located does impose an
emergency medical service levy authorized under RCW 84.52.069. The ordinance
creating the district may only be adopted after a public hearing has been held
on the creation of the district and the council makes a finding that it is in
the public interest to create the district. The members of the city or town
council, acting in an ex officio capacity and independently, shall compose the
governing body of the urban emergency medical service district. The voters of
an urban emergency medical service district shall be all registered voters
residing within the urban emergency medical service district.
An urban emergency
medical service district shall be a quasi-municipal corporation and an
independent taxing "authority" within the meaning of Article VII,
section 1 of the state Constitution. Urban emergency medical service districts
shall also be "taxing districts" within the meaning of Article VII,
section 2 of the state Constitution.
An urban emergency
medical service district shall have the authority to contract under chapter
39.34 RCW with a county, city, town, fire protection district, public hospital
district, or emergency medical service district to have emergency medical
services provided within its boundaries.
Territory located in
the same county as an urban emergency medical service district that is annexed
by the city or town must automatically be annexed to the urban emergency
medical service district.
Sec. 2. RCW 84.52.069 and 1993 c
337 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) As used in this
section, "taxing district" means a county, emergency medical service
district, city or town, public hospital district, urban emergency medical
service district, or fire protection district.
(2) A taxing district
may impose additional regular property tax levies in an amount equal to fifty
cents or less per thousand dollars of the assessed value of property in the
taxing district in each year for six consecutive years when specifically
authorized so to do by a majority of at least three-fifths of the registered
voters thereof approving a proposition authorizing the levies submitted at a
general or special election, at which election the number of persons voting
"yes" on the proposition shall constitute three-fifths of a number
equal to forty ((per centum)) percent of the total ((votes
cast)) number of voters voting in such taxing district at the last
preceding general election when the number of registered voters voting on the
proposition does not exceed forty ((per centum)) percent of the
total ((votes cast)) number of voters voting in such taxing
district in the last preceding general election; or by a majority of at least
three-fifths of the registered voters thereof voting on the proposition when
the number of registered voters voting on the proposition exceeds forty ((per
centum)) percent of the total ((votes cast)) number of
voters voting in such taxing district in the last preceding general
election. Ballot propositions shall conform with RCW 29.30.111.
(3) Any tax imposed
under this section shall be used only for the provision of emergency medical
care or emergency medical services, including related personnel costs, training
for such personnel, and related equipment, supplies, vehicles and structures
needed for the provision of emergency medical care or emergency medical
services.
(4) If a county levies
a tax under this section, no taxing district within the county may levy a tax
under this section. No other taxing district may levy a tax under this section
if another taxing district has levied a tax under this section within its
boundaries: PROVIDED, That if a county levies less than fifty cents per
thousand dollars of the assessed value of property, then any other taxing
district may levy a tax under this section equal to the difference between the
rate of the levy by the county and fifty cents: PROVIDED FURTHER, That if a
taxing district within a county levies this tax, and the voters of the county
subsequently approve a levying of this tax, then the amount of the taxing
district levy within the county shall be reduced, when the combined levies
exceed fifty cents. Whenever a tax is levied county-wide, the service shall,
insofar as is feasible, be provided throughout the county: PROVIDED FURTHER,
That no county-wide levy proposal may be placed on the ballot without the
approval of the legislative authority of each city exceeding fifty thousand
population within the county: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That this section and RCW
36.32.480 shall not prohibit any city or town from levying an annual excess
levy to fund emergency medical services: AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, That if a
county proposes to impose tax levies under this section, no other ballot
proposition authorizing tax levies under this section by another taxing
district in the county may be placed before the voters at the same election at
which the county ballot proposition is placed: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That any
taxing district emergency medical service levy that is authorized subsequent to
a county emergency medical service levy, shall expire concurrently with the
county emergency medical service levy.
(5) The tax levy
authorized in this section is in addition to the tax levy authorized in RCW
84.52.043.
(6) The
limitation in RCW 84.55.010 shall not apply to the first levy imposed pursuant
to this section following the approval of such levy by the voters pursuant to
subsection (2) of this section.
