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SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS › Governance of Special Purpose Districts Overview
Updated 05/03
Governance of Special Purpose Districts Overview

Governance of Special Purpose Districts Overview

Contents

Overview

  • 57 districts have the governance structure designated in the statutes.
  • Most powers of a special purpose district are vested in a board of district commissioners, board of district trustees, or board of district directors.
  • 54 districts have governance structure other than the county legislative body, some are provided with alternative governance.
  • 12 districts were formed principally to finance a service and most of these are governed by the legislative body that created them.
  • Seven of the districts have no governance designated in the statutes.
  • There are three other governmental units, often called special districts, which are unique units of government that do not share the same characteristics as most other special districts:
    • legal authorities
    • metropolitan municipal corporations
    • operating agencies
  • Apportionment districts, Ch. 39.88 RCW, have not been considered as they were ruled unconstitutional in Leonard v. Spokane, 127 Wn. 2nd 195 (1995).
  • If more than one governmental unit is included in a district, it may be governed by interlocal contract or the statute may specify representatives from the governmental units.
  • Summary of Special Purpose District Formation and Governance (chart), MRSC

Limited Purpose Corporations

Washington statutes designate most special districts as municipal corporations or quasi-municipal corporations.

  • Special districts are capable of contracting, suing and being sued, like private corporations.
  • As municipal corporations their functions are wholly public.
  • Special purpose districts may be classed as "limited purpose" corporations.
    • Their powers are limited to specified areas of jurisdiction.
    • They can exercise only powers that are delegated to them by law either expressly, or by implication from the terms of a particular statute.
    • Regardless of how broad the powers of a particular municipal corporation may be, its officers may exercise only those powers delegated to them by law or pursuant to law.

Districts with Elected Boards

  • Cemetery districts
  • Conservation districts, Conservation Commission (3 of 5 board members are elected)
  • Diking and drainage districts (includes (a) diking districts; (b) drainage districts; (c) diking, drainage, and/or sewerage improvement districts; (d) intercounty diking and drainage districts, (e)consolidated diking districts, drainage district, diking improvement districts, and/or drainage improvement districts)
  • Fire protection districts
  • Flood control districts
  • Irrigation districts (includes irrigation and rehabilitation districts, legal authorities (formed by interlocal contract), reclamation and irrigation districts in reclamation areas)
  • Flood control zones (option where more than 2,000 residents)
  • Park and recreation districts, MRSC
  • Port districts, WPPA
  • Public hospital districts, AWPHD
  • Public utility districts, PUD Association
  • School districts
  • Water-sewer districts (including water-sewer district, water district, sewer district)
  • Weed districts, Weed Board (includes inter-county regular weed districts)

Districts Where Legislative Body Appoints All or Majority of Governing Board

  • Horticultural pest and disease boards
  • Library districts (inter-county rural library districts, island library districts, regional libraries, rural county library districts, and rural partial library districts),
  • Mosquito control districts, MRSC
  • Public housing authorities
  • Roads and bridges service districts
  • Television reception improvement districts (appointed if boundaries different than county, legislative body acts as board if boundaries are same as district)

District Where Legislative Body is Governing Board

  • Agricultural pest districts (each commissioner represents own district),
  • County rail districts,
  • Ferry districts, passenger-only
  • Emergency medical service districts (or interlocal agreement),
  • Emergency service communication district
  • Flood control zones (also can be elected if more than 2000 residents),
  • Park and recreation service areas (or interlocal contract),
  • Shellfish protection districts
  • Transportation benefit districts (or as may be defined in an interlocal agreement), JTC Transportation Resource Manual

Other Governing Board Composition

For some districts individual governing board members are designated by statute. In some instances membership is based on population, in others it might be representatives from several governments or members with special expertise. These districts include:

Districts Where No Governance Specified

These districts are administered by the legislative body that created it.

  • Aquifer protection areas
  • County road districts, LTC Transportation Resource Manual
  • County road improvement districts, RCW 36.88
  • Flood control by counties (river improvement fund)
  • Industrial development districts
  • Lake management districts, MRSC
  • Solid waste collection districts