FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 6174

                          C 121 L 98

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Changing compensation for special district commissioners.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senator McCaslin).

Senate Committee on Government Operations

House Committee on Government Administration

Background:  The commissioners of fire protection districts, water-sewer districts, hospital districts and port districts are paid per diem compensation of $50 per day, not to exceed $4,800 per year.  (Commissioners of port districts with a gross operating revenue exceeding $25 million may not exceed $6,000 per year.)

The commissioners of public utility districts, diking and drainage districts, drainage districts, diking, drainage, sewerage improvement districts, inter-county diking and drainage districts, flood control districts, and irrigation districts may adopt a resolution to receive per diem compensation of up to $50 per day, not to exceed $4,800 per year.  (Commissioners of public utility districts may not exceed $7,000 per year.)

Each eligible member of a public transit benefit area authority, after passage of a resolution, may receive per diem compensation of up to $44 per day, not to exceed $3,300 per year.

The commissioners of metropolitan park districts and cemetery districts are not authorized to receive per diem compensation.

The state Constitution prohibits elected officials who set their own salaries from increasing their salaries during their current term of office.

Summary:  The per diem compensation for commissioners of fire protection districts, water-sewer districts, hospital districts, and port districts is increased from $50 per day to $70 per day, and the yearly ceiling is increased from $4,800 per year to $6,720 per year ($8,400 per year if a port district has a gross operating revenue over $25 million).

The commissioners of metropolitan park districts, cemetery districts, diking and drainage districts, drainage districts, diking, drainage, sewerage improvement districts, inter-county diking and drainage districts, flood control districts, irrigation districts, public transit benefit area authorities, and public utility districts may adopt a resolution providing for per diem compensation at a rate of up to $70 per day, not to exceed $6,720 per year (public utility districts may not exceed $9,800 per year and public transit benefit area authorities may not exceed $5,250 per year).

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 45 3

House     97 1

Effective:  June 11, 1998