(1) As provided in this section, a regional fire protection service authority may withdraw areas from its boundaries or reannex into the authority areas that previously had been withdrawn from the authority under this section.

     (2)(a) The withdrawal of an area is authorized upon: (i) Adoption of a resolution by the board approving the withdrawal and finding that, in the opinion of the board, inclusion of this area within the regional fire protection service authority will result in a reduction of the authority's tax levy rate under the provisions of RCW 84.52.010; or (ii) adoption of a resolution by the city or town council approving the withdrawal, if the area is located within the city or town, or adoption of a resolution by the governing body of the fire protection district within which the area is located approving the withdrawal, if the area is located outside of a city or town, but within a fire protection district.

     (b) A withdrawal under this section is effective at the end of the day on the thirty-first day of December in the year in which the resolution under (a)(i) or (ii) of this subsection is adopted, but for purposes of establishing boundaries for property tax purposes, the boundaries shall be established immediately upon the adoption of the resolution.

     (c) The withdrawal of an area from the boundaries of an authority does not exempt any property therein from taxation for the purpose of paying the costs of redeeming any indebtedness of the authority existing at the time of withdrawal.

     (3)(a) An area that has been withdrawn from the boundaries of a regional fire protection service authority under this section may be reannexed into the authority upon: (i) Adoption of a resolution by the board proposing the reannexation; and (ii) adoption of a resolution by the city or town council approving the reannexation, if the area is located within the city or town, or adoption of a resolution by the governing body of the fire protection district within which the area is located approving the reannexation, if the area is located outside of a city or town but within a fire protection district.

     (b) A reannexation under this section shall be effective at the end of the day on the thirty-first day of December in the year in which the adoption of the resolution under (a)(ii) of this subsection occurs, but for purposes of establishing boundaries for property tax purposes, the boundaries shall be established immediately upon the adoption of the resolution.

     (c)(i) Referendum action on the proposed reannexation under this section may be taken by the voters of the area proposed to be reannexed if a petition calling for a referendum is filed with the city or town council, or governing body of the fire protection district, within a thirty-day period after the adoption of the resolution under (a)(ii) of this subsection, which petition has been signed by registered voters of the area proposed to be reannexed equal in number to ten percent of the total number of the registered voters residing in that area.

     (ii) If a valid petition signed by the requisite number of registered voters has been so filed, the effect of the resolutions shall be held in abeyance and a ballot proposition to authorize the reannexation shall be submitted to the voters of the area at the next special election date specified in RCW 29A.04.330 that occurs forty-five or more days after the petitions have been validated. Approval of the ballot proposition authorizing the reannexation by a simple majority vote shall authorize the reannexation.

[2004 c 129 § 11.]