H-4197.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2936

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Cairnes and Fortunato

Read first time 02/01/2000.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Allowing voters of a regional transportation authority to reaffirm their prior vote to approve taxes to finance regional transit.

    AN ACT Relating to public approval of the financing of regional transit systems and facilities; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  Economic development is affected by transportation systems and the imposition of taxes.  To ensure appropriate economic development and that the message of Initiative Measure No. 695 be implemented, this act requires that voters of a regional transportation authority who, prior to January 1, 2000, voted to approve taxes to finance a regional transit system and facilities under chapter 81.112 RCW, be afforded an additional opportunity to reaffirm or reject their prior approval of these taxes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The auditor of every county in which a regional transportation authority is located, where prior to January 1, 2000, voters had authorized the regional transportation authority to impose taxes to finance a regional transit system and facilities under chapter 81.112 RCW, shall submit to the voters of the regional transportation authority a ballot proposition inquiring whether they want to reaffirm their prior approval of these taxes.  If a regional transportation authority is located in more than one county, the prosecuting attorneys of these counties shall prepare a common ballot proposition to be submitted to voters of the counties.

    If the ballot proposition to reaffirm the taxes is approved by a simple majority vote of the voters of the regional transportation authority who vote on the ballot proposition, the regional transportation authority may continue imposing the taxes it had been authorized to impose.  However, if the ballot proposition to reaffirm the taxes is not approved by the voters of the regional transportation authority, the regional transportation authority shall discontinue imposing the taxes it had been authorized to impose.

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