Title 52 — Title 52 FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS

The legislature finds that:(1) The ability to respond to emergency situations by many of Washington state's fire protection jurisdictions has not kept up with the state's needs, particularly in urban regions;(2) Providing a fire protection service system requires a shared partner…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Board" means the governing body of a regional fire protection service authority.(2) "Elected official" means an elected official of a participating fire protection jur…

Regional fire protection service authority planning committees are advisory entities that are created, convened, and empowered as follows:(1) Any two or more fire protection jurisdictions located within reasonable proximity may create a regional fire protection service authority …

(1) A regional fire protection service authority planning committee shall adopt a regional fire protection service authority plan providing for the governance, design, financing, and development of fire protection and emergency services. The planning committee may consider the fo…

(1) A regional fire protection service authority planning committee may, as part of a regional fire protection service authority plan, recommend the imposition of some or all of the following revenue sources, which a regional fire protection service authority may impose upon appr…

The governing bodies of two or more fire protection jurisdictions located within reasonable proximity, upon receipt of the regional fire protection service authority plan under RCW 52.26.040, may certify the plan to the ballot, including identification of the revenue options spec…

If the voters approve the plan, including creation of a regional fire protection service authority and imposition of taxes and benefit charges, if any, and the election results are certified, the authority is formed on the effective date as set forth in the plan or the next Janua…

(1) The board shall adopt rules for the conduct of business. The board shall adopt bylaws to govern authority affairs, which may include:(a) The time and place of regular meetings;(b) Rules for calling special meetings;(c) The method of keeping records of proceedings and official…

(1) The governing board of the authority is responsible for the execution of the voter-approved plan. Participating jurisdictions shall review the plan every ten years. The board may:(a) Levy taxes and impose benefit charges as authorized in the plan and approved by authority vot…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in the regional fire protection service authority plan, all powers, duties, and functions of a participating fire protection jurisdiction pertaining to fire protection and emergency services shall be transferred to the regional fire protection ser…

(1) As provided in this section, a regional fire protection service authority may withdraw areas from its boundaries or reannex into the authority areas that previously had been withdrawn from the authority under this section.(2)(a) The withdrawal of an area is authorized upon: (…

Any fire protection district within the authority may be dissolved by a majority vote of the registered electors of the district at an election conducted by the election officials of the county or counties in which the district is located in accordance with the general election l…

(1) An authority may incur general indebtedness for authority purposes, issue bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness not to exceed an amount, together with any outstanding nonvoter approved general obligation debt, equal to three-fourths of one percent of the value of t…

(1) To carry out the purposes for which a regional fire protection service authority is created, as authorized in the plan and approved by the voters, the governing board of an authority may annually levy the following taxes:(a) An ad valorem tax on all taxable property located w…

At the time of making general tax levies in each year, the county legislative authority or authorities of the county or counties in which a regional fire protection service authority is located shall make the required levies for authority purposes against the real and personal pr…

In the event that lands lie within both a regional fire protection service authority and a forest protection assessment area they shall be taxed and assessed as follows:(1) If the lands are wholly unimproved, they are subject to forest protection assessments but not to authority …

It is the duty of the county treasurer of the county in which the regional fire protection service authority created under this chapter is located to collect taxes authorized and levied under this chapter. However, when a regional fire protection service authority is located in m…

(1) The governing board of a regional fire protection service authority may by resolution, as authorized in the plan and approved by the voters, for authority purposes authorized by law, fix and impose a benefit charge on personal property and improvements to real property which …

All personal property not assessed and subjected to ad valorem taxation under Title 84 RCW, all property under contract or for which the regional fire protection service authority is receiving payment for as authorized by law, all property subject to chapter 54.28 RCW, and all pr…

(1) The resolution establishing benefit charges as specified in RCW 52.26.180 must specify, by legal geographical areas or other specific designations, the charge to apply to each property by location, type, or other designation, or other information that is necessary to the prop…

Each regional fire protection service authority shall contract, prior to the imposition of a benefit charge, for the administration and collection of the benefit charge by each county treasurer, who shall deduct a percentage, as provided by contract to reimburse the county for ex…

(1)(a) The initial imposition of a benefit charge authorized by this chapter must be approved by not less than sixty percent majority of the voters of the regional fire protection service authority voting at a general election or at a special election called by the authority for …

(1) Not fewer than ten days nor more than six months before the election at which the proposition to impose the benefit charge is submitted as provided in this chapter, the governing board of the regional fire protection service authority, or the planning committee if the benefit…

A regional fire protection service authority that imposes a benefit charge under this chapter shall not impose all or part of the property tax authorized under RCW 52.26.140(1)(c).[ 2004 c 129 s 30.]

After notice has been given to the property owners of the amount of the charge, the governing board of a regional fire protection service authority imposing a benefit charge under this chapter shall form a review board for at least a two-week period and shall, upon complaint in w…

The Washington fire commissioners association, as soon as practicable, shall draft a model resolution to impose the regional fire protection service authority benefit charge authorized by this chapter and may provide assistance to authorities in the establishment of a program to …

A person who is receiving the exemption contained in RCW 84.36.381 through 84.36.389 is exempt from any legal obligation to pay a portion of the benefit charge imposed under this chapter as follows:(1) A person who meets the income limitation contained in RCW 84.36.381(5)(a) and …

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, a regional fire protection service authority may, by resolution of its board, provide for civil service for its employees in the same manner, with the same powers, and with the same force and effect as provided by chapter 41.08 RCW f…

Territory that is annexed to a participating jurisdiction is annexed to the authority as of the effective date of the annexation. The statutes regarding transfer of assets and employees do not apply to the participating jurisdictions in the annexation.[ 2006 c 200 s 9.]

(1) A fire protection jurisdiction that is located within reasonable proximity to the boundary of a regional fire protection service authority is eligible for annexation by the authority.(2) An annexation is initiated by the adoption of a resolution by the governing body of a fir…

A regional fire protection service authority may, in lieu of adopting an annual budget, adopt a biennial budget with a mid-biennium review and modification for the second year of the biennium.[ 2015 c 40 s 2.]