57.12.015 - Increase in number of commissioners.

Increase in number of commissioners.

(1) In the event a three-member board of commissioners of any district with any number of customers determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from three to five, or if the board of a district with any number of customers is presented with a petition signed by ten percent of the registered voters resident within the district who voted in the last general municipal election calling for an increase in the number of commissioners of the district, the board shall submit a resolution to the county auditor requesting that an election be held. Upon receipt of the resolution, the county auditor shall call a special election to be held within the district, at which election a proposition in substantially the following language shall be submitted to the voters:


Shall the Board of Commissioners of (name and/or number of district) be increased from three to five members?

     Yes . . . . .

     No . . . . .


If the proposition receives a majority approval at the election the board of commissioners of the district shall be increased to five members.

     (2) In any district with more than ten thousand customers, if a three-member board of commissioners determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from three to five, the number of commissioners shall be so increased without an election, unless within ninety days of adoption of that resolution a petition requesting an election and signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters who voted in the last municipal general election is filed with the board. If such a petition is received, the board shall submit the resolution and the petition to the county auditor, who shall call a special election in the manner described in this section.

     (3)(a) In any district with more than twenty-five thousand customers, if a five-member board of commissioners determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from five to seven, the number of commissioners may be so increased without an election, unless within ninety days of adoption of that resolution a petition requesting an election and signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters who voted in the last municipal general election is filed with the board. If such a petition is received, the board shall submit the resolution and the petition to the county auditor, who shall call a special election in the manner described in this section.

     (b) In the event a five-member board of commissioners of any district with more than twenty-five thousand customers determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from five to seven, the board may submit a resolution to the county auditor requesting that an election be held. Upon receipt of the resolution, the county auditor shall call a special election to be held within the district, at which election a proposition in substantially the following language shall be submitted to the voters:


Shall the Board of Commissioners of (name and/or number of district) be increased from five to seven members?

     Yes . . . . .

     No . . . . .


If the proposition receives a majority approval at the election the board of commissioners of the district shall be increased to seven members.

     (4) The two additional positions created on boards of commissioners by this section shall be filled initially as for a vacancy, except that the appointees shall draw lots, one appointee to serve until the next district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms, and the other appointee to serve until the second district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms.

[2001 c 63 § 2; 1996 c 230 § 402; 1994 c 223 § 67; 1991 c 190 § 6; 1990 c 259 § 29; 1987 c 449 § 12.]

Notes: Part headings not law -- Effective date -- 1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.