[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the election of intercounty rural library district directors; amending RCW 27.12.130 and 27.12.190; adding a new section to chapter 27.12 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The board of trustees of a rural intercounty library district prepares the budget upon which the property tax levy rate is determined, and the amount of this rate could cause a fire protection district or a cemetery district to be unfunded. To enhance the trustees' accountability to the people they serve, the legislature intends for trustees to be directly elected by the voters.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 27.12 RCW to read as follows:

On January 1, 2002, intercounty rural library districts in counties having a population over one million persons shall dissolve their boards of trustees on the date of the next municipal general election and shall hold an election at that municipal general election to elect seven nonpartisan library directors to serve four-year staggered terms. Candidates shall run for specific positions. A primary shall not be held to nominate candidates for intercounty rural library district directors. The staggering of terms of members of the intercounty rural library district directors shall be established at this election, where the four persons elected as library directors receiving the greatest numbers of votes shall be elected to four-year terms of office and the remainder of the persons elected as library directors shall be elected to two-year terms of office. Newly elected library directors shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified. Library directors who are elected subsequently shall be elected to four-year terms of office and shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29.04.170. Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with RCW 42.12.070.

Sec. 3. RCW 27.12.130 and 1959 c 133 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

((Immediately following the establishment of an intercounty rural library district the boards of county commissioners of the counties affected shall jointly appoint a board of five or seven trustees for the district in accordance with RCW 27.12.190.)) The board of trustees shall appoint a librarian for the district.

Sec. 4. RCW 27.12.190 and 1982 c 123 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

The management and control of a library shall be vested in a board of either five or seven trustees as hereinafter in this section provided. In cities and towns five trustees shall be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the legislative body. In counties, rural county library districts, and island library districts, five trustees shall be appointed by the board of county commissioners. In a regional library district a board of either five or seven trustees shall be appointed by the joint action of the legislative bodies concerned. ((In intercounty rural library districts a board of either five or seven trustees shall be appointed by the joint action of the boards of county commissioners of each of the counties included in a district. The first appointments for boards comprised of but five trustees shall be for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years respectively, and thereafter a trustee shall be appointed annually to serve for five years. The first appointments for boards comprised of seven trustees shall be for terms of one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven years respectively, and thereafter a trustee shall be appointed annually to serve for seven years. No person shall be appointed to any board of trustees for more than two consecutive terms. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms as soon as possible in the manner in which members of the board are regularly chosen.))

A library trustee shall not receive a salary or other compensation for services as trustee, but necessary expenses actually incurred shall be paid from the library funds.

A library trustee in the case of a city or town may be removed only by vote of the legislative body. A trustee of a county library, a rural county library district library, or an island library district library may be removed for just cause by the county commissioners after a public hearing upon a written complaint stating the ground for removal, which complaint, with a notice of the time and place of hearing, shall have been served upon the trustee at least fifteen days before the hearing. ((A trustee of an intercounty rural library district may be removed by the joint action of the board of county commissioners of the counties involved in the same manner as provided herein for the removal of a trustee of a county library.))