Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Local Government Committee
HB 1049
Brief Description: Updating timelines for adopting county commissioner district boundaries following expansion from three to five commissioners.
Sponsors: Representatives Doglio, Bateman, Riccelli and Ormsby; by request of Secretary of State.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Updates the timeline for a board of county commissioners that expands from three to five members to adopt a resolution creating new commissioner districts.
  • Updates the timeline for the county prosecuting attorney to petition the court to appoint a referee to designate the new commissioner districts for a board of county commissioners that fails to adopt a resolution creating new commissioner districts.
  • Updates the date by which a court-appointed referee must designate the five new districts in the event that a board of commissioners fails to do so.
Hearing Date: 1/11/23
Staff: Elizabeth Allison (786-7129).
Background:

A board of county commissioners that expands from three to five members must adopt a resolution creating five new districts by the second Monday of March of the year following the election.  If a board of county commissioners does not adopt the resolution by the second Tuesday of March of the year following the election, the county prosecuting attorney must petition the county superior court to appoint a referee to designate the five new districts.  The referee must designate the districts no later than June 1 of the year following the election.
 
The regular filing period for declarations of candidacy for offices in the state general election begins the Monday two weeks before Memorial Day and ends the following Friday in the year in which the office is scheduled to be voted upon.
Summary of Bill:

The timeline for which a board of county commissioners that expands from three to five commissioners has to adopt a resolution creating five new districts is updated to the ninetieth day prior to the first day of filing week of the year following the election.  If a board of county commissioners that expands from three to five commissioners fails to create the five new districts by the eighty-ninth day prior to the first day of filing week, the county prosecuting attorney must petition the county superior court for a referee to designate the districts.  The referee must designate the districts by the sixtieth day prior to the first day of filing week.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.