[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to weighted voting on public transportation benefit area boards; and amending RCW 36.57A.050 and 36.57A.055.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 36.57A.050 and 1998 c 121 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:

Within sixty days of the establishment of the boundaries of the public transportation benefit area the members of the county legislative authority and the elected representative of each city within the area shall provide for the selection of the governing body of such area, the public transportation benefit area authority, which shall consist of elected officials selected by and serving at the pleasure of the governing bodies of component cities within the area and the county legislative authority of each county within the area. Evidence of appropriate action by ordinance, resolution, or otherwise, pursuant to the law of the legislative bodies of the component county, or counties if the area includes portions of more than one county, or cities must be submitted to the public transportation benefit area authority before the selected representative or elected official may serve. If at the time a public transportation benefit area authority assumes the public transportation functions previously provided under the Interlocal Cooperation Act (chapter 39.34 RCW) there are citizen positions on the governing board of the transit system, those positions may be retained as positions on the governing board of the public transportation benefit area authority.

Within such sixty-day period, any city may by resolution of its legislative body withdraw from participation in the public transportation benefit area. The county legislative authority and each city remaining in the public transportation benefit area may disapprove and prevent the establishment of any governing body of a public transportation benefit area if the composition thereof does not meet its approval.

In no case shall the governing body of a single county public transportation benefit area be greater than nine members and in the case of a multicounty area, fifteen members. Those cities within the transportation benefit area and excluded from direct membership on the authority are hereby authorized to designate a member of the authority who shall be entitled to represent the interests of such city which is excluded from direct membership on the authority. The legislative body of such city shall notify the authority as to the determination of its authorized representative on the authority.

Each member of the authority is eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 and to receive compensation, as set by the authority, in an amount not to exceed forty-four dollars for each day during which the member attends official meetings of the authority or performs prescribed duties approved by the chairman of the authority. Except that the authority may, by resolution, increase the payment of per diem compensation to each member from forty-four dollars up to seventy dollars per day or portion of a day for attendance at board meetings and for performance of other services on behalf of the authority. In no event may a member be compensated in any year for more than seventy-five days, except the chairman who may be paid compensation for not more than one hundred days: PROVIDED, That compensation shall not be paid to an elected official or employee of federal, state, or local government who is receiving regular full-time compensation from such government for attending meetings and performing prescribed duties of the authority.

Sec. 2. RCW 36.57A.055 and 1991 c 318 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:

After a public transportation benefit area has been in existence for four years, members of the county legislative authority and the elected representative of each city within the boundaries of the public transportation benefit area shall review the composition of the governing body of the benefit area and change the composition of the governing body if the change is deemed appropriate. The votes of the designated representatives of the component county, or counties if the area includes portions of more than one county, and each of the cities are to be weighted, based upon the determination of population filed with the secretary of state by the office of financial management the July 1st before the review meeting. The population of only the unincorporated portion of the county is to be considered for purposes of weighting the voting of the county representatives. Evidence of appropriate action by ordinance, resolution, or otherwise, pursuant to the law of the legislative bodies of the component county, or counties if the area includes portions of more than one county, or cities must be submitted to the public transportation benefit area authority before the designated representative or elected official may serve. The review shall be at a meeting of the designated representatives of the component county and cities, and the majority of those present shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. Twenty days notice of the meeting shall be given by the chief administrative officer of the public transportation benefit area authority. After the initial review, a review shall be held every four years.

If an area having a population greater than fifteen percent, or areas with a combined population of greater than twenty-five percent of the population of the existing public transportation benefit area as constituted at the last review meeting, annex to the public transportation benefit area, or if an area is added under RCW 36.57A.140(2), the representatives of the component county and cities shall meet within ninety days to review and change the composition of the governing body, if the change is deemed appropriate. This meeting is in addition to the regular four-year review meeting and shall be conducted pursuant to the same notice requirement and quorum provisions of the regular review.