Miloscia, Kochmar bill gives local residents a vote on utility district control
Published 6:29 pm Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Local voters get a say in their water and sewer district representation after a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Miloscia, R-Federal Way, and Rep. Linda Kochmar, R-Federal Way, was signed into law last week. The measure requires any takeover of a water or sewer district by a city to be approved by a referendum on the ballot.
“I believe voters deserve the right to decide who represents and taxes them,” Miloscia said. “Cities and districts have long-standing legal issues over the authority to assume control of a district and potentially raise taxes without voter approval. This law puts an end to that struggle.”
If there are sufficient signatures, under Senate Bill 5048, voters residing in the part of a water-sewer district to be assumed by a city will vote to support or deny the effort in the next election. A contract or interlocal agreement between the city and the utility district for the assumption of all or part of a utility district does not require a referendum. Similar referendum provisions are already in place for fire district annexations.
“This bill simply extends the rights voters already have with other local annexation efforts. It’s important our communities have a say in their representation and local government’s actions,” Kochmar said. “This bill has been in the works since the mid-1990s, and I’m glad to finally see it signed into law.”
Miloscia previously served as a commissioner and Kochmar as a risk manager for local Lakehaven Utility District. The bill will go into effect July 24.
