Summary of Special Purpose District Formation and Governance

Includes List of Districts Created for Funding Purposes, But Do Not Have Independent Governing Boards

Districts with Statutorily Designated Governing Body
District		Enabling Statute (RCW)	Formation	Governance
Air Pollution Control Authorities		Ch. 70.94 RCW	Petition - 100 property owners or motion by county; hearing	Board of directors, appointed; composition designated by statute
Airport Districts, County		RCW 14.08.290-.330	Application - 100 voters; election; resolution	Board of county commissioners or 3 elected airport commissioners
Cemetery Districts		Ch. 68.52 RCW	Petition - 15% voters; hearing; election	Cemetery board, 3 elected cemetery commissioners
Conservation Districts		Ch. 89.08 RCW	Petition - 10% voters; hearing by Conservation Commission; election	Board of 5 supervisors, 3 elected, 2 appointed by commission
County Rail Districts		Ch. 36.60 RCW	Hearing; resolution	County legislative authority
Cultural Arts, Stadium, and Convention Districts		Ch. 67.38 RCW	Resolution or petition -10%; hearing; election	Outlined in resolution; statutes specify who should be represented
Diking and Drainage Districts		Title 85 RCW	Resolution or petition -10%; investigation by county engineer; hearing; election	Governing body composed of 3 elected members
	Diking & Drainage Districts in Two or More Counties (Intercounty Diking and Drainage Districts)	Ch. 85.24 RCW
	Diking District	Ch. 85.05 RCW	Resolution or petition of 10 property owners; feasibility determination by county engineer; hearing; election pursuant to Ch. 85.38 RCW	Board of 3 elected dike commissioners
	Diking & Drainage Districts in Two or More Counties (Intercounty Diking and Drainage Districts)	Ch. 85.24 RCW	Resolution or petition of 10 property owners; feasibility determination by county engineers; hearing; election pursuant to Ch. 85.38 RCW	Board of 3 district commissioners, initially appointed; elected per 85.38 RCW
	Diking, Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District; Drainage and Irrigation Improvement district - Improvement Districts - 1933 Act	Ch. 85.22 RCW	Petition signed by district commissioners; election	3 elected supervisors; commissioners of old district become supervisors of new district
	Drainage District	Ch. 85.06 RCW	Resolution or petition of 10 property owners; feasibility determination by county engineer; hearing; election pursuant to Ch. 85.38 RCW	Board of 3 elected commissioners; consolidated districts could retain 5 member board
	Reorganization of Diking or Drainage Districts into Improvement Districts - 1917 Act	Ch. 85.20 RCW	Petition signed by district commissioners; election	Board of commissioners becomes board of supervisors
	Diking, Drainage, Sewerage Improvement Districts Funding methods revised by Diking, Drainage, and Sewerage Improvement Districts - 1967 Act	Ch. 85.08 RCW, Ch. 85.15 RCW	Petition, resolution or petition of 10 property owners; feasibility determination by county engineer; hearing; election pursuant to Ch. 85.38 RCW. If less than 500 acres petition of 50% of acreage	Board of 3 elected supervisors, initially appointed then elected by ch. 85.38.RCW; if less than 500 acres county engineer will be sole supervisor of the district
Emergency Medical Service Districts		RCW 36.32.480	Hearing; ordinance	County legislative authority or interlocal agreement
	Urban Emergency Medical Services District	RCW 35.21.762	Hearing; ordinance	City or town council, acting in an ex officio capacity and independently
Emergency Service Communication Districts		RCW 82.14B.070-.100	Legislative authority establishes (ordinance or resolution)	County legislative authority
Fire Protection Districts		Title 52 RCW	Petition -10%; hearing; election	Board of fire commissioners; 3 or 5 elected commissioners; can be elected by commissioner districts see RCW 52.14.013
	Regional Fire Protection Service Authority	Ch. 52.26 RCW	Any two or more adjacent fire protection jurisdictions convene a planning committee and create a plan; resulting plan submitted to voters	Designated by the fire protection services authority plan
Flood Control Districts - See Ch. 85.38 RCW for Formation and Organization of District			Resolution or petition -10%; investigation by county engineer; hearing; election	Governing body composed of 3 elected members
	Flood Control Districts - 1937 Act	Ch. 86.09 RCW	Petition, resolution or petition of 10 property owners; feasibility determination by county engineer; hearing; election pursuant to Ch. 85.38 RCW. If less than 500 acres petition of 50% of acreage	Board of 3 district commissioners, initially appointed; elected per Ch. 85.38 RCW
	Flood Control by Counties Jointly - 1913 Act (Intercounty)	Ch. 86.13 RCW	Resolution; interlocal contract	Boards of county commissioners; interlocal contract
	Flood Control Zone Districts	Ch. 86.15 RCW	Action of board or petition - 25% vote cast in proposed zone at last county general election	Board of county commissioners; option to elect 3 zone supervisors if district over 2000 residents
Health Districts		Ch. 70.46 RCW	Resolution or ordinance of county legislative authority	Board of health - composition set by statute
Housing
	Public Housing Authorities	Ch. 35.82 RCW	Resolution or petition - 25%	5 commissioners appointed; 7 members if city more than 400,000 pop
	Joint City-County Housing Authorities	RCW 35.82.300	Ordinance	Determined by ordinance
Irrigation & Reclamation		Title 87
	Irrigation Districts	Ch. 87.03 RCW	Petition - 50 or majority of land owners; investigation by Department of Ecology; hearing; election	Board of directors, 3 or 5 elected directors
	Irrigation and Rehabilitation Districts (Conversion of irrigation district)	Ch. 87.84 RCW	Petition - 50 land owners; hearing; election	Same as irrigation district
	Reclamation Districts of one million acres	Ch. 89.30 RCW	Petition - 50 land owners; commission created to hear petition; election	Board of directors, number equal to number of counties participating
Legal Authorities (Hydroelectric) - Irrigation Districts - Interlocal		RCW 87.03.825 - .840	Interlocal agreement - irrigation districts and cities, towns, or public utility districts	Interlocal agreement
Library Districts		Ch. 27.12 RCW
	Inter-County Rural Library Districts	RCW 27.12.090	Resolutions or joint session of counties or petition - 10%; election	Board of trustees; 5 or 7 appointed by county commissioners
	Island Library District	RCW 27.12.400 - .450	Petition - 10%; hearing; election	Board of 5 trustees appointed by county commissioners
	Library Capital Facility Area	Ch 27.15 RCW	Request from library trustees to county commissioners; election	Three members from each county legislative body or less by agreement
	Regional Library	RCW 27.12.080	Interlocal contract - two or more counties	Board of 5 or 7 trustees appointed by joint action of legislative authorities
	Rural County Library Districts	RCW 27.12.040 - .070	Petition -10%; hearing; election	Board of 5 trustees appointed by county commissioners
	Rural Partial Library District	RCW 27.12.470	Petition -10%; hearing; election	Board of 5 Trustees appointed by county commissioners
Metropolitan Municipal Corporations		Ch. 35.58 RCW & Ch. 36.56 RCW	Resolution or petition - 4%; election	Metropolitan council composition outlined by statute
Mosquito Control Districts		Ch. 17.28 RCW	Petition-10% or resolution; hearing; election	Appointed board of 5 trustees - composition set by statute
Operating Agencies (Electricity Generation and Distribution, Cities & PUD) - Interlocal		Ch. 43.52 RCW	Interlocal agreement	Interlocal agreement
Park & Recreation
	Metropolitan Park District	Ch. 35.61 RCW	Resolution or petition -15%	One of three forms
	Park & Recreation Districts	Ch. 36.69 RCW	Resolution or petition-15%; hearing; election	Board of 5 elected commissioners
	Joint Park & Recreation Districts	RCW 36.69.420 -.460	Petition-15%; hearing in each county; election in each county	Board of 5 elected commissioners
	Park & Recreation Service Areas	RCW 36.68.400 - .620	Resolution or petition -10%; feasibility study; election	County legislative authority, acting ex officio and independently
Port Districts		Title 53 RCW	Initiated by county legislative authority or petition - 10%; hearing; election	Port commission of 3 or 5 elected members from commissioner districts; commissioner district may be eliminated for less than county-wide district, see RCW 53.12.021
Public Facilities Districts		Ch. 36.100 RCW for counties, Ch. 35.57 RCW cities/towns	Resolution or interlocal agreement	Appointed board of directors; 5 or 7 members; membership composition set by statute
Public Hospital Districts		Ch. 70.44 RCW	Resolution or petition -10%; election	Board of elected commissioners; 3, 5, or 7 commissioner districts; See also RCW 70.44.054
	Rural Public Hospital District (defined)	RCW 70.44.450-.460
Public Stadium Authority		Ch. 36.102 RCW	Resolution	Board of appointed directors; composition set by statute
Public Utility Districts		Title 54 RCW	Resolution or petition -10%; election	Election commission of 3 or 5 commissioner districts
Roads & Bridges Service Districts		Ch. 36.83 RCW	Hearing; resolution or ordinance	3 member appointed commission
School Districts		Ch. 28A.315 RCW	Petition or proposal from ESD or school board motion; hearing by regional committee; may require election See Ch. 28A.315.265.	Board of 5 elected directors; 7 for Seattle No. 1. Directors elected by director districts with some at large (varies by district)
	Joint School Districts	Ch. 28A.323 RCW
Solid Waste Disposal Districts		RCW 36.58.100	Hearing, ordinance	County governing body
Television Assessment Districts		Ch. 36.95 RCW	Petition - 50%	If district less that full county, Board of 3,5-9 appointed members; if same as county then county commissioners
Transportation (Mass Transit)
	City Transportation Authority (Monorail)	Ch. 35.95A RCW, Ch. 248 Laws 2002	Ordinance or petition -1%; election	Appointed or elected depending on ballot proposition
	County Public Transportation Authority	Ch. 36.57 RCW	Resolution	Appointed; membership set by statute
	Ferry District, Passenger-only (County over 1 million population)	Ch. 83 Laws 2003	Hearing; ordinance	County legislative authority acting ex officio
	Public Transportation Benefit Area	Ch. 36.57A RCW	Resolution or petition -10% to call a conference; hearing; resolution of conference	Selected by participants; membership set out in statutes
	Regional Transit Authorities	RCW 81.112	Interlocal agreement; resolution	Board of appointed representatives; membership set by statute
	Regional Transportation Investment District	Ch. 36.120 RCW	Committee created; election	Members of each legislative authority acting ex officio and independently
	Unincorporated Transportation Benefit Areas (UTBA)	RCW 36.57.100
Transportation Benefit Districts		Ch. 36.73 RCW; RCW 35.21.225 for city	Hearing; ordinance	County or city legislative authority acting ex officio or interlocal agreement if more than one jurisdiction
Water-Sewer Districts (water-sewer district, water district, sewer district)		Title 57 RCW (districts reclassified, formerly Sewer Title 56, Water Title 57), reclassification 1997	Petition -10% or resolution if public health necessity hearing; election	3, 5, or 7 elected members; can be elected by commissioner districts, see RCW 57.12.039
Weed Districts		Ch. 17.04 RCW	Petition owners - 50% of acreage; hearing; resolution	Board of directors, 3 elected directors
	Inter-County Regular Weed Districts	Ch. 17.06 RCW	Petition owners - 50% of acreage; hearing; order	Board of directors, 3 elected directors
Districts Created for Funding Purposes, But Do Not Have Independent Governing Boards
District		Enabling Statute (RCW)	Formation	Governance
Agricultural Pest Districts		Ch. 17.12 RCW	Petition - ten or more resident freeholders; hearing	Supervision by agricultural expert or commissioner of district acting ex officio
Apportionment Districts (Community Redevelopment financing Act)		Ch 39.88 RCW, Ruled unconstitutional by Leonard v. Spokane, 127 Wn. 2nd 195 (1995)
Aquifer Protection Areas		Ch. 36.36 RCW	Hearing; election	Not specified
Community Renewal Areas		Ch. 35.81 RCW, Ch. 218 Laws of 2002	Ordinance or resolution	Appointed board or local governing body or other board
County Road District s		RCW 36.75.060	County commissioners can create up to 9 districts, one road district in each county commissioner's district	Not specified
County Road Improvement District		Ch. 36.88 RCW	Resolution; hearing; election	Not specified
Flood Control by Counties (River Improvement Fund)		Ch. 86.12 RCW		Not specified
Horticultural Pest and Disease Board (Horticultural Assessment)		Ch. 15.09 RCW	Petition or motion of county commissioners; hearing	Horticultural pest and disease board, 4 appt by county 1 by Director of Agriculture
Industrial Development Districts (Ports) - to develop marginal area properties		Ch. 53.25 RCW	Hearing	Not specified
Lake and Beach Management Districts		Ch. 36.61 RCW; RCW 35.21.403	Resolution or petition -10 land owners or 15% acreage whichever is greater; hearing; election	Not specified
Public Waterway Districts		Ch. 91.08 RCW	Petition - 35%; hearing	County board of commissioners
Flood Control by Counties River & Harbor Improvement Fund		Ch. 88.32 RCW	Petition - 100 freeholders owning land	Appointed by U.S. govt
Shellfish Protection Districts - "Clean Water Districts"		Ch. 90.72 RCW	Motion of county; election	County legislative authority
Solid Waste Collection Districts		Ch. 36.58A RCW	Hearing; UTC investigation	None specified

Special Purpose Districts listed are defined as political subdivisions of the state and come into existence, acquire legal rights and duties, and are dissolved in accordance with statutory procedures. Enabling legislation sets forth the purpose of the district, procedures for formation, powers, functions and duties, composition of the governing body, methods of finance, and other provisions. The districts are usually quasi-municipal corporations though some are statutorily defined as municipal corporations. The are often designated in the statutes as a public body corporate and a taxing authority.