BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to fire district benefit charges; and amending RCW 52.18.050.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 52.18.050 and 1998 c 16 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any benefit charge authorized by this chapter shall not be effective unless a proposition to impose the benefit charge is approved by a sixty percent majority of the voters of the district voting at a general election or at a special election called by the district for that purpose, held within the fire protection district. An election held pursuant to this section shall be held not more than twelve months prior to the date on which the first such charge is to be assessed((~~: PROVIDED, That~~)). The benefit charge shall be imposed (a) each year for six consecutive years, (b) each year for ten consecutive years, or (c) permanently. A benefit charge approved at an election shall not remain in effect for ((~~a period of more than six years nor~~)) more than the number of years authorized by the voters if ((~~fewer than six years~~)) a six or ten-year charge is authorized unless subsequently reapproved by the voters.

(2) The ballot shall be submitted so as to enable the voters favoring the authorization of a fire protection district benefit charge to vote "Yes" and those opposed thereto to vote "No((~~," and~~))."

(a) The ballot proposition authorizing a six-year benefit charge or a ten-year benefit charge shall be:

"Shall . . . . . . county fire protection district No. . . . . be authorized to impose benefit charges each year for . . . . (insert the maximum number of years ((~~not to exceed six~~)) allowable) years, not to exceed an amount equal to sixty percent of its operating budget, and be prohibited from imposing an additional property tax under RCW 52.16.160?

YES NO

G G"

((~~(3)~~)) (b) Districts renewing ((~~the~~)) a six-year benefit charge or a ten-year benefit charge may elect to use the following alternative ballot:

"Shall . . . . . . county fire protection district No. . . . . be authorized to continue voter-authorized benefit charges each year for . . . . (insert the maximum number of years ((~~not to exceed six~~)) allowable) years, not to exceed an amount equal to sixty percent of its operating budget, and be prohibited from imposing an additional property tax under RCW 52.16.160?

YES NO

G G"

"Shall . . . . . . county fire protection district No. . . . . be authorized to impose PERMANENT benefit charges, not to exceed an amount equal to sixty percent of its operating budget, and be prohibited from imposing an additional property tax under RCW 52.16.160?

YES NO

G G"

(3) A district imposing a permanent benefit charge under this chapter shall provide for separate accounting of expenditures of the revenues generated by the charge. The district shall maintain a statement of the accounting which shall be updated at least every two years and shall be available to the public upon request at no charge.

(4) A district imposing a permanent benefit charge under this chapter shall provide for a referendum procedure to apply to the resolution imposing the charge. This referendum procedure shall specify that a referendum petition may be filed at any time with a filing officer, as identified in the resolution. Within ten days, the filing officer shall confer with the petitioner concerning form and style of the petition, issue the petition an identification number, and secure an accurate, concise, and positive ballot title from the designated local official. The petitioner shall have thirty days in which to secure the signatures of not less than fifteen percent of the registered voters of the district, as of the last general election, upon petition forms which contain the ballot title and the full text of the measure to be referred. The filing officer shall verify the sufficiency of the signatures on the petition and, if sufficient valid signatures are properly submitted, shall certify the referendum measure to the next election within the district if one is to be held within one hundred eighty days from the date of filing of the referendum petition, or at a special election to be called for that purpose in accordance with RCW 29.13.020.

The referendum procedure provided in this subsection shall be exclusive in all instances for any district imposing the benefit charge under this chapter and shall supersede the procedures provided under all other provisions for initiative or referendum which might otherwise apply.