H‑0598.1 _____________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1156
_____________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Representatives D. Schmidt, O'Brien, Edwards, Dunshee, Lovick, Marine, Sehlin, Pearson, Cooper and Barlean
Read first time 01/18/2001. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
_1 AN ACT Relating to public transportation systems; and amending
_2 RCW 36.57A.110 and 36.57A.130.
_3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
_4 Sec. 1. RCW 36.57A.110 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 270 s 21 are each
_5 amended to read as follows:
_6 (1) The public transportation benefit area shall have and
_7 exercise all rights with respect to the construction, acquisition,
_8 maintenance, operation, extension, alteration, repair, control and
_9 management of passenger transportation which any component city
10 shall have been previously empowered to exercise and such powers
11 shall not thereafter be exercised by such component cities without
12 the consent of the public transportation benefit area((:
PROVIDED,
13 That)), except as provided in subsection (2)
of this section and
14 RCW 36.57A.130. Any city owning and operating a public
15 transportation system on July 1, 1975, may continue to operate
16 such system within such city until such system shall have been
17 acquired by the public transportation benefit area and a public
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_1 transportation benefit area may not acquire such system without
_2 the consent of the city council of such city.
_3 (2) In any county where a public transportation benefit area
_4 and a city both operate a public transportation system, beginning
_5 January 1, 2002, the city shall pay the public transportation
_6 benefit area for the service rendered to its citizens in an amount
_7 as provided for in RCW 36.57A.130, or, in the alternative, shall
_8 elect to request the county to submit a ballot proposition to the
_9 voters of the public transportation benefit area and the city on
10 the question of whether the public transportation benefit area
11 shall acquire the public transportation system owned by the
12 city. The ballot proposition shall state that approval also
13 constitutes an agreement that the city is subject to all taxes and
14 other liabilities and obligations of the public transportation
15 benefit area. This vote shall take place before September 1,
16 2002. If by February 1, 2002, the city has elected not to pay the
17 public transportation benefit area for the services rendered to
18 its citizens and has failed to request the county to submit a
19 ballot proposition under this subsection, the county shall place
20 the ballot proposition on the ballot no later than September 1,
21 2002. A simple majority authorizes acquisition. Upon a favorable
22 vote, the city is included within the boundaries of the
23 transportation benefit area and is subject to all taxes and other
24 liabilities and obligations of the public transportation benefit
25 area. Public transportation facilities and properties that are
26 owned by the city become the property of the public transportation
27 benefit area. If the vote to acquire the public transportation
28 system owned by the city fails, RCW 36.57A.130 governs the
29 obligation of the city to pay the public transportation benefit
30 area for the services rendered its citizens. This obligation
31 commences January 1, 2003, and continues until the public
32 transportation benefit area acquires the city's public
33 transportation system following an election under this subsection.
34 Sec. 2. RCW 36.57A.130 and 1983 c 151 s 1 are each amended to read
35 as follows:
36 The treasurer of the county in which a public transportation
37 benefit area authority is located shall be ex officio treasurer of
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_1 the authority. In the case of a multicounty public transportation
_2 benefit area the county treasurer of the largest component county,
_3 by population, shall be the treasurer of the authority. However,
_4 the authority, by resolution, and upon the approval of the county
_5 treasurer, may designate some other person having experience in
_6 financial or fiscal matters as treasurer of the authority. Such a
_7 treasurer shall possess all of the powers, responsibilities, and
_8 duties the county treasurer possesses for a public transportation
_9 benefit area authority related to investing surplus authority
10 funds. The authority may (and if the treasurer is not a county
11 treasurer, it shall) require a bond with a surety company
12 authorized to do business in the state of Washington in an amount
13 and under the terms and conditions the authority, by resolution,
14 from time to time finds will protect the authority against loss.
15 The premium on any such bond shall be paid by the authority.
16 All authority funds shall be paid to the treasurer and shall be
17 disbursed by the treasurer only on warrants issued by the county
18 auditor, upon orders or vouchers approved by the authority.
19 However, the authority may, by resolution, designate some person
20 having experience in financial or fiscal matters, other than the
21 county auditor, as the auditor of the authority. Such an auditor
22 shall possess all of the powers, responsibilities, and duties that
23 the county auditor possesses for a public transportation benefit
24 area authority related to creating and maintaining funds, issuing
25 warrants, and maintaining a record of receipts and disbursements.
26 The treasurer shall establish a "transportation fund," into
27 which shall be paid all authority funds, and the treasurer shall
28 maintain such special accounts as may be created by the authority
29 into which shall be placed all money as the authority may, by
30 resolution, direct.
31 If the treasurer of the authority is a treasurer of the county,
32 all authority funds shall be deposited with the county depositary
33 under the same restrictions, contracts, and security as provided
34 for county depositaries. If the treasurer of the authority is some
35 other person, all funds shall be deposited in such bank or banks
36 authorized to do business in this state that have qualified for
37 insured deposits under any federal deposit insurance act as the
38 authority, by resolution, shall designate.
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_1 An authority may provide and require a reasonable bond of any
_2 other person handling moneys or securities of the authority, but
_3 the authority shall pay the premium on the bond.
_4 The county or counties and each city or town which is included
_5 in the authority shall contribute such sums towards the expense
_6 for maintaining and operating the public transportation system as
_7 shall be agreed upon between them. Commencing with the dates set
_8 forth in RCW 36.57A.110(2), any city operating a public
_9 transportation system within a county where a public
10 transportation benefit area operates a public transportation
11 system shall annually pay the public transportation benefit area:
12 (1) The average subsidy per passenger of the public
13 transportation area as determined by the most recent national
14 transportation data base figures, for which purpose subsidy means
15 the total operating expenses for all modes minus fare revenue for
16 all modes divided by total unlinked trips for all modes,
17 multiplied by the number of unlinked passenger trips made by that
18 city's residents on the public transportation benefit area system
19 as determined by the most recent on-board rider surveys performed
20 biennially by an independent consultant, the cost of that survey
21 to be borne equally by the public transportation benefit area and
22 the city; and
23 (2) The depreciation expenses of the public transit benefit
24 area, divided by the combined population of the public
25 transportation benefit area and the city, multiplied by the
26 population of the city.
27 The county legislative authority shall arbitrate disputes under
28 subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
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