Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Local Government & Housing Committee

SB 5057

Brief Description:  Specifying how code cities may change the plan of government.

Sponsors:  By Senators Gardner, Hale, Haugen, Horn, Spanel, Patterson, Costa, Kline and McCaslin.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Alters the way noncharter code cities change forms of government by specifying that officers serve the remainder of their terms.

Hearing Date:  3/19/01

Staff: Scott MacColl (786‑7106).

Background: 

Optional noncharter municipal code cities may choose to operate under a mayor-council, a council-manager, or to retain an existing form, such as a commission form of government.  If any noncharter code city of over 10,000 population receives a petition from the voters to become a charter code city, the city must call for an election on that question.

When a noncharter code city alters its form of government, new city officers are elected at the next general municipal election.  Current city officers do not retain their seats, but must run again to stay in office.

Summary of Bill: 

Elected officers in noncharter code cities that alter their form of government are allowed to serve the remainder of their terms.  For a change from a mayor-council form of government to a council-manager form of government, the existing mayor serves as a council member for the remainder the term.  For a change from a council-manager form of government to a mayor-council form of government, the new mayor is elected as a new officer in the ensuing election.

Noncharter code cities that hold a failed election to become a charter code city are required to wait two years from the date of the failed election for another vote on a charter adoption if the favorable votes received were 40 percent or less of the total vote.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

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