RCW 17.28.090 Declaration establishing and naming district—Election to form district—Establishment of district.

If, from the testimony given before the county commissioners, it appears to that board that the public necessity or welfare requires the formation of the district, it shall, by an order entered on its minutes, declare that to be its finding, and shall further declare and order that the territory within the boundaries so fixed and determined be organized as a district, under an appropriate name to be selected by the county commissioners, subject to approval of the voters of the district as hereinafter provided. The name shall contain the words "mosquito control district."

At the time of the declaration establishing and naming the district, the county commissioners shall by resolution call a special election to be held not less than thirty days and not more than sixty days from the date thereof, and shall cause to be published a notice of such election at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, setting forth the hours during which the polls will be open, the boundaries of the proposed district as finally adopted, and the object of the election. If any portion of the proposed district lies in another county, a notice of such election shall likewise be published in that county.

The election on the formation of the mosquito control district shall be conducted by the auditor of the county in which the greater area of the proposed district is located in accordance with the general election laws of the state and the results thereof shall be canvassed by that county's canvassing board. For the purpose of conducting an election under this section, the auditor of the county in which the greater area of the proposed district is located may appoint the auditor of any county or the city clerk of any city lying wholly or partially within the proposed district as his or her deputies. No person shall be entitled to vote at such election unless he or she is a qualified voter under the laws of the state in effect at the time of such election and has resided within the mosquito control district for at least thirty days preceding the date of the election. The ballot proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

"Shall a mosquito control district be established for the area described in a resolution of the board of commissioners of  . . . . . . county adopted on the  . . . . day of  . . . . . ., (year) . . . .?

YES

. . . .

□

NO

. . . .

□"

If a majority of the persons voting on the proposition shall vote in favor thereof, the mosquito control district shall thereupon be established and the county commissioners of the county in which the greater area of the district is situated shall immediately file for record in the office of the county auditor of each county in which any portion of the land embraced in the district is situated, and shall also forward to the county commissioners of each of the other counties, if any, in which any portion of the district is situated, and also shall file with the secretary of state, a certified copy of the order of the county commissioners. From and after the date of the filing of the certified copy with the secretary of state, the district named therein is organized as a district, with all the rights, privileges, and powers set forth in this chapter, or necessarily incident thereto.

If a majority of the persons voting on the proposition shall vote in favor thereof, all expenses of the election shall be paid by the mosquito control district when organized. If the proposition fails to receive a majority of votes in favor, the expenses of the election shall be borne by the respective counties in which the district is located in proportion to the number of votes cast in said counties.

[ 2016 c 202 § 20; 2011 c 336 § 464; 1957 c 153 § 9.]