H-1224.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1648

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Alexander, Dunshee, Mulliken, Scott and Cooper

Read first time 02/01/1999.  Referred to Committee on Local Government.

Issuing warrants by fire districts.

    AN ACT Relating to fire districts' options for issuing warrants; and amending RCW 52.16.050.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 52.16.050 and 1998 c 5 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the county treasurer shall pay out money received for the account of the district on warrants issued by the county auditor against the proper funds of the district.  The warrants shall be issued on vouchers approved and signed by a majority of the district board and by the district secretary.

    (2) The board of fire commissioners of a district that had an annual operating budget of five million or more dollars in each of the preceding three years may by resolution adopt a policy to issue its own warrants for payment of claims or other obligations of the fire district.  The board of fire commissioners, after auditing all payrolls and bills, may authorize the issuing of one general certificate to the county treasurer, to be signed by the chair of the board of fire commissioners, authorizing the county treasurer to pay all the warrants specified by date, number, name, and amount, and the accounting funds on which the warrants shall be drawn; thereupon the district secretary may issue the warrants specified in the general certificate.

    (3) The board of fire commissioners of a district that had an annual operating budget of under five million dollars in each of the preceding three years may upon agreement between the county auditor and the fire district commission, with approval of the fire district commission by resolution, adopt a policy to issue its own warrants for payment of claims or other obligations of the fire district.  The board of fire commissioners, after auditing all payrolls and bills, may authorize the issuing of one general certificate to the county treasurer, to be signed by the chair of the board of fire commissioners, authorizing the county treasurer to pay all the warrants specified by date, number, name, and amount, and the accounting funds on which the warrants shall be drawn.  The district secretary may then issue the warrants specified in the general certificate.

(4) The county treasurer may also pay general obligation bonds and the accrued interest thereon in accordance with their terms from the general obligation bond fund when interest or principal payments become due.  The county treasurer shall report in writing monthly to the secretary of the district the amount of money held by the county in each fund and the amounts of receipts and disbursements for each fund during the preceding month.

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