HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6691

As Reported by House Committee On:

Local Government & Housing

Title:  An act relating to authorizing less‑than‑countywide port districts with five commissioners with three commissioner districts and two at large commissioner districts to create five port commissioner districts.

Brief Description:  Authorizing five‑member port commissions to have five commissioner districts.

Sponsors:  Senator Spanel.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Local Government & Housing:  2/27/02 [DP].

Brief Summary of Bill

$Authorizes port districts with three commissioner districts and two at large positions to expand to five commissioner districts.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT & HOUSING

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Dunshee, Chair; Edwards, Vice Chair; Mulliken, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Crouse, DeBolt, Dunn, Hatfield, Kirby, Mielke and Sullivan.

Staff:  Scott MacColl (786‑7106).

Background:

Port district commissions are made up of either three or five commissioners.  Port districts may decide either at the time of formation or at a ballot proposition, to increase the number of commissioners to five.  The districts may be made up of either five commissioner districts, or may be made up of three commissioner districts and two at large districts.

Port districts that are less than county‑wide, having a population of 500,000 or more, may have five commissioner districts or five commissioners but only three commissioner districts and two at large members.

Summary of Bill:

Port districts with three commissioner districts and two at‑large commissioners (five total) are authorized to expand to five commissioner districts by a vote of the district.  The vote is triggered by either a resolution of the board, or by a petition submitted to the county auditor and signed by 10 percent of the district voters that voted in the last general election.

The new districts must be drawn within 120 days and submitted to the county auditor.  All current commissioners are assigned a district and complete their respective terms.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Port districts were authorized to expand to five commissioners about 10 years ago.  This bill is to fix a problem for a less than county‑wide port district that has five commissioners, but only three commissioner districts, and would like to expand to five commissioner districts.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified: Senator Spanel, prime sponsor; and Pat Jones, Washington Ports Association.