BILL REQ. #:  H-1682.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/27/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to modifying metropolitan park district property tax levies to assist park districts with populations less than twenty thousand; amending RCW 84.52.010 and 84.52.120; amending 2011 1st sp.s. c 28 s 7 (uncodified); and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 84.52.010 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 28 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as is permitted under RCW 84.55.050, all taxes must be levied or voted in specific amounts.
     (2) The rate percent of all taxes for state and county purposes, and purposes of taxing districts coextensive with the county, must be determined, calculated and fixed by the county assessors of the respective counties, within the limitations provided by law, upon the assessed valuation of the property of the county, as shown by the completed tax rolls of the county, and the rate percent of all taxes levied for purposes of taxing districts within any county must be determined, calculated and fixed by the county assessors of the respective counties, within the limitations provided by law, upon the assessed valuation of the property of the taxing districts respectively.
     (3) When a county assessor finds that the aggregate rate of tax levy on any property, that is subject to the limitations set forth in RCW 84.52.043 or 84.52.050, exceeds the limitations provided in either of these sections, the assessor must recompute and establish a consolidated levy in the following manner:
     (a) The full certified rates of tax levy for state, county, county road district, and city or town purposes must be extended on the tax rolls in amounts not exceeding the limitations established by law; however any state levy takes precedence over all other levies and may not be reduced for any purpose other than that required by RCW 84.55.010. If, as a result of the levies imposed under RCW 36.54.130, 84.34.230, 84.52.069, 84.52.105, the portion of the levy by a metropolitan park district that was protected under RCW 84.52.120, 84.52.125, 84.52.135, 84.52.140, and the protected portion of the levy under RCW 86.15.160 by flood control zone districts in a county with a population of seven hundred seventy-five thousand or more that are coextensive with a county, the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, then these levies must be reduced as follows:
     (i) Except as provided in (a)(vii) of this subsection, the portion of the levy by a metropolitan park district that has a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand and is located in a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more, or the portion of the levy by a metropolitan park district that has a population of twenty thousand or less, that is protected under RCW 84.52.120 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (ii) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the protected portion of the levy imposed under RCW 86.15.160 by a flood control zone district in a county with a population of seven hundred seventy-five thousand or more that is coextensive with a county must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (iii) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the levy imposed by a county under RCW 84.52.140 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (iv) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the portion of the levy by a fire protection district that is protected under RCW 84.52.125 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (v) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the levy imposed by a county under RCW 84.52.135 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (vi) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the levy imposed by a ferry district under RCW 36.54.130 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (vii) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, the portion of the levy by a metropolitan park district with a population of one hundred fifty thousand or more that is protected under RCW 84.52.120 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated;
     (viii) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, then the levies imposed under RCW 84.34.230, 84.52.105, and any portion of the levy imposed under RCW 84.52.069 that is in excess of thirty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, must be reduced on a pro rata basis until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated; and
     (ix) If the combined rate of regular property tax levies that are subject to the one percent limitation still exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property, then the thirty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of tax levy imposed under RCW 84.52.069 must be reduced until the combined rate no longer exceeds one percent of the true and fair value of any property or must be eliminated.
     (b) The certified rates of tax levy subject to these limitations by all junior taxing districts imposing taxes on such property must be reduced or eliminated as follows to bring the consolidated levy of taxes on such property within the provisions of these limitations:
     (i) First, the certified property tax levy rates of those junior taxing districts authorized under RCW 36.68.525, 36.69.145, 35.95A.100, and 67.38.130 must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated;
     (ii) Second, if the consolidated tax levy rate still exceeds these limitations, the certified property tax levy rates of flood control zone districts other than the portion of a levy protected under RCW 84.52.815 must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated;
     (iii) Third, if the consolidated tax levy rate still exceeds these limitations, the certified property tax levy rates of all other junior taxing districts, other than fire protection districts, regional fire protection service authorities, library districts, the first fifty cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation levies for metropolitan park districts, and the first fifty cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation levies for public hospital districts, must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated;
     (iv) Fourth, if the consolidated tax levy rate still exceeds these limitations, the first fifty cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation levies for metropolitan park districts created on or after January 1, 2002, must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated;
     (v) Fifth, if the consolidated tax levy rate still exceeds these limitations, the certified property tax levy rates authorized to fire protection districts under RCW 52.16.140 and 52.16.160 and regional fire protection service authorities under RCW 52.26.140(1) (b) and (c) must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated; and
     (vi) Sixth, if the consolidated tax levy rate still exceeds these limitations, the certified property tax levy rates authorized for fire protection districts under RCW 52.16.130, regional fire protection service authorities under RCW 52.26.140(1)(a), library districts, metropolitan park districts created before January 1, 2002, under their first fifty cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation levy, and public hospital districts under their first fifty cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation levy, must be reduced on a pro rata basis or eliminated.

Sec. 2   RCW 84.52.120 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 28 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     A metropolitan park district with a population of one hundred fifty thousand or more, or any metropolitan park district located in a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more, or any metropolitan park district with a population of twenty thousand or less, may submit a ballot proposition to voters of the district authorizing the protection of the district's tax levy from prorationing under RCW 84.52.010(3)(b) by imposing all or any portion of the district's twenty-five cent per thousand dollars of assessed valuation tax levy outside of the five dollar and ninety cent per thousand dollar of assessed valuation limitation established under RCW 84.52.043(2), if those taxes otherwise would be prorated under RCW 84.52.010(3)(b)(((iii))), for taxes imposed in any year on or before the first day of January six years after the ballot proposition is approved. A simple majority vote of voters voting on the proposition is required for approval.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Sections 1 and 2 of this act apply to taxes levied for collection in 2014 and thereafter.

Sec. 4   2011 1st sp.s. c 28 s 7 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     Section 4 of this act expires January 1, 2018.