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                                         SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8224

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Zimmerman, Garrett and Halsan; by request of Washington State Local Governance Commission

Read first time 1/21/88 and referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

          THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article XI of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

Article XI, section ... .          The legislature shall enact legislation providing for the following separate processes enabling citizens and their elected local government officials to review local governments and consider alternatives for more adequately structuring or shaping local governments to meet their local needs:

          (1) A process shall be established for local governments to define and use a procedure by which binding agreements are developed and implemented among local governments for the provision of services and development of local policies, including the transfer of services and revenues between local governments existing at the time such transfers are made.  This process may be used by local governments on a county-wide, less than county-wide, or greater than county-wide basis.

          (2) A process shall be established by which a temporary group of voters within each county is elected to review local governments within the county and may present a proposal or proposals for altering local governments to voters for their approval or rejection.  Each temporary group of voters shall be assisted by an advisory group of local governmental elected officials.  The formation, retention, boundaries, and powers of local governments within the county, and the powers of the county government, may be considered under such a process, including any alteration to local governments that is authorized under the provisions of section 16 of this Article.  Provisions shall be made for such a group of voters to be elected from, and develop proposals affecting, an area greater than a single county.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.