BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to county assessors; amending RCW 36.21.011; adding a new section to chapter 36.21 RCW; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 36.21.011 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 11 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any assessor who deems it necessary to enable ((~~him~~)) the assessor to complete the listing and the valuation of the property of ((~~his~~)) the county within the time prescribed by law, ((~~(1)~~)) (a) may appoint one or more well qualified persons to act as ((~~his~~)) assistants or deputies who shall not engage in the private practice of appraising within the county in which he or she is employed without the written permission of the county assessor filed with the county auditor; and each such assistant or deputy so appointed shall, under the direction of the assessor, after taking the required oath, perform all the duties enjoined upon, vested in or imposed upon assessors, and ((~~(2)~~)) (b) may contract with any persons, firms or corporations, who are expert appraisers, to assist in the valuation of property.

(2) To assist each assessor in obtaining adequate and well qualified assistants or deputies, the state department of personnel, after consultation with the Washington state association of county assessors, the Washington state association of counties, and the department of revenue, shall establish by July 1, 1967, and shall thereafter maintain, a classification and salary plan for those employees of an assessor who act as appraisers. The plan shall recommend the salary range and employment qualifications for each position encompassed by it, and shall, to the fullest extent practicable, conform to the classification plan, salary schedules and employment qualifications for state employees performing similar appraisal functions.

(3) If an assessor intends to put such plan into effect in ((~~his~~)) the county, ((he)) the assessor shall inform the department of revenue and the board of county commissioners of this intent in writing. ((The department of revenue and the board may thereupon each designate a representative, and such representative or representatives as may be designated by the department of revenue or the board, or both, shall form with the assessor a committee. The committee so formed may, by unanimous vote only, determine the required number of certified appraiser positions and their salaries necessary to enable the county assessor to carry out the requirements relating to revaluation of property in chapter 84.41 RCW. The determination of the committee shall be certified to the board of county commissioners. The committee provided for herein may be formed only once in a period of four calendar years.

After such determination, the assessor may provide, in each of his four next succeeding annual budget estimates, for as many positions as are established in such determination. Each board of county commissioners to which such a budget estimate is submitted shall allow sufficient funds for such positions. An employee may be appointed to a position covered by the plan only if the employee meets the employment qualifications established by the plan.)) One county commissioner and a representative of the department of revenue shall be designated to form a committee with the assessor. The committee shall, by unanimous vote only, determine the funding level and duration to provide adequate real estate appraisers, support staff, computer equipment and software, and other resources for the assessor to adequately perform and maintain the revaluation program, and place new construction on the tax rolls on a regular annual basis.

(4) At the conclusion of sixty days, the representative of the department of revenue shall report on the committee's findings to the director of the department of revenue and make recommendations regarding any unresolved issues, which shall be decided by the director. The department of revenue shall prepare a contract to be signed by the assessor and the board of county commissioners. The contract shall include:

(a) A specified funding level to be provided by the board of county commissioners;

(b) A specified level of new construction to be included on the tax rolls over a specified time period;

(d) A procedure for evaluation of the assessor's performance by the department of revenue if requested by the board of county commissioners; and

(e) A provision that the board of county commissioners is not obligated to provide the specified funding level if the evaluation by the department of revenue finds that the assessor is not meeting contract obligations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.21 RCW to read as follows:

The assessors' assistance account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. The account may be used only for making loans to counties to fund contracts developed under RCW 36.21.011. All receipts from repayment and interest of the loans shall be deposited into the account. Only the director of the department of revenue or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of .......... dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the department of revenue for the purposes of funding the assessors' assistance account created in section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.