ORDINANCE NO. 437
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTH PRAIRIE, PIERCE
COUNTY, WASHINGTON PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF A PROPOSITION TO THE
QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF SOUTH PRAIRIE AT THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, 2003
FOR THEIR RATIFICATION OR REJECTION, PROVIDING FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE THE
PERMANENT REGULAR PROPERTY TAX BY 75 CENTS PER THOUSAND OF ASSESSED PROPERTY
VALUE TO $2.5065 PER $1000 OF ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE; SETTING FORTH THE BALLOT
PROPOSITION; DIRECTING THE TOWN TREASURER/TOWN CLERK TO CERTIFY TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR
A CERTIFIED COPY OF THIS ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY
RELATED THERETO; AND SETTING FORTH FACTS.
Whereas, the Town of South Prairie is a 4th class
town located in Pierce County, Washington duly organized and existing pursuant
to the laws of the state of Washington; and
Whereas, the Town is authorized to levy a permanent regular
property tax not to exceed $3.10 per $1,000 assessed value on property within
the Town; and
Whereas, Initiative 695 reduced the revenue available to the
Town for the purposes of providing services to the citizens of the Town in
2000, in excess of $38,000 and assistance from the State Revenues are limited;
and
Whereas, fire
protection services costs have increased, and
Whereas, the Town has an unused portion of its permanent
regular property tax authority; and
Whereas, the Town Council desires to reduce the impact of a
loss of revenues due to the passage of Initiative 695 by allowing the electors
to vote to ratify or reject an increase in the regular permanent property tax
on real property within the Town; and
Whereas, the proceeds of an increase in the regular property
tax on real property will provide funding for the continuation of necessary
services provided by the Town to its citizens.
Now, therefore, the Town Council of the Town of South
Prairie, Pierce County, Washington do ordain as follows:
Section 1: A special
election is hereby requested to be called, conducted and held within the Town
on Tuesday, November 4, 2003, for the purposes of submitting to the qualified
electors of the Town for their ratification or rejection, a proposition to
raise the permanent regular property tax on real property within the Town to an
amount of $2.5065 per $1,000 assessed value on property within the Town from
and after January 1, 2004.
Section 2: That the proposition to be
submitted to the electorate of the Town shall read substantially as follows:
PROPERTY TAX LEVY PROPOSITION
In order to provide funds for fire protection, shall
the Town of South Prairie increase the permanent regular property tax by 75
cents per thousand dollars of assessed value on real property to the amount of
$2.5065 per $1,000 assessed value on real property within the Town from and
after January 1, 2004.
Instructions to Voters
To
vote in favor of the foregoing proposition, mark a cross (x) in the box
"Tax levy, Yes" square.
To
vote against the foregoing proposition, mark a cross (x) in the box "Tax
levy, No"
Tax levy, Yes
Tax levy, No
Section 3: The special election will be
held on Tuesday, November 4, 2003. Polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and will remain
open until 8:00 p.m., when they will close.
Section 4: The location of the polling
places shall be determined by the Pierce County Auditor, as ex officio
Supervisor of Elections for the Town.
Section 5: In the
event the proposition specified in Section 2 above is approved, there shall be
levied and collected a permanent regular annual tax on real property in the
Town in the amount of $2.5065 per $1,000 assessed valuation in each year
commencing January 1, 2004.
Section 6: The Town
Council hereby finds and declares an emergency exists, due to the need to
replace revenues lost by the passage of Initiative 695. Said emergency requires
the Town to conduct a special election at the next election date, and requires
the submission to qualified electors of the Town for the ratification or
rejection at said special election, the proposition as set forth above. The
Town Clerk/Treasurer or designee representative is hereby authorized and
directed to deliver a copy of this ordinance to the Pierce County Auditor, as
the Town's ex officio Supervisor of Elections at least 45 days prior to the
election date.
Section 7: The
Pierce County Auditor, as the Town's ex officio Supervisor of Elections is
hereby requested to also find the existence of such emergency and to deem the
same to exist and call and conduct said special election on Tuesday, November
4, 2003, and submit to the qualified electors of the Town the proposition set
forth herein.
Section 8: The Pierce County Auditor
shall cause a notice of special election substantially in the form attached as
Exhibit "A" referred to herein, to be published at
least once in a newspaper of general circulation
within the Town. Such publication shall take
place not more than 10 days or less than three days prior to November 4, 2003.
Section 9: The
Pierce County Auditor, as the Town's ex officio Supervisor of Elections shall
conduct the election, canvas the vote and certify the results in the manner
provided by law.
Section 10: This ordinance shall be in full
force and take effect five (5) days from and after its passage, approval and
publication as required by law.
Section 11: If any provision of this ordinance
is determined to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason the remaining
provisions shall remain in force and affect.
Section 12: The findings of fact as set forth
above are hereby incorporated by reference.
Attested:
Marla
Nevill
Town
Clerk
Approved as to form:
Michael J. Reynolds Town Attorney
