HomeMy WebLinkAbout96-087Resolution No. 96- ~'~
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT
TOWNSEND DIRECTING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO CORRESPOND
WITH THE WASHINGTON STATE AUDITOR REGARDING THE
JEFFERSON COUNTY PUD AUDIT, SEEKING AN ACCOUNTING OF
PUD TAX REVENUF~ FROM CITY RESIDENTS, AND REQUESTING
THAT THE AUDITOR EXAMINE PUD COMPLIANCE WITH RCW
54.04.030
The City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, does resolve as follows:
WItEREAS,the Jefferson County PUD ("PUD") is authorized by RCW 54.16.080 to levy
and collect real property tax against properties within Jefferson County; and
WHEREAS, RCW 54.04.030 limits the PUD's taxing authority over properties within
the City of Port Townsend, providing in relevant part that "[n]o property situated within any..
· municipal corporations shall ever be taxed or assessed to pay for any utility, or any part thereof,
of like character to any utility owned, or operated by such.., municipal corporations." The City
of Port Townsend deems it to be in the interest of its resident taxpayers and the City's water and
sewer utilities that utility-related taxes not be levied and collected for any utility-related purposes
unless the tax and expenditures of the revenues are in full conformance with Washington law; and
WHEREAS, the PUD may be authorized by State law to collect the utility tax for
purposes other than utility service and operation needs, including but not limited to regional water
utility resource development, conservation and planning purposes which directly benefit City
taxpayers. The City Council believes that the Washington State Auditor should examine whether
the PUD has adequately segregated its accounts in order to separate tax revenues collected from
City taxpayers from rate revenues, and accounted for the separate expenditure of these funds for
purposes authorized by RCW 54.04.030, if any; and
WHEREAS, the City Council's Utility Committee has requested information from the
PUD regarding the segregation of the tax revenues from other funds and has advised the PUD that
the appropriate expenditure of City taxpayer utility tax revenues is a matter of great concern to
the City Council, and that the Utility Committee would request that the Council direct the City
Attorney to correspond with the State Auditor regarding these issues,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council for the City of Port
Townsend that the City Attorney is directed to correspond with the Washington State Auditor,
requesting a detailed examination of PUD tax revenues and expenditures from City taxpayers, and
requesting that the Auditor make all appropriate inquiries, findings and recommendations
June 3, 1996 1 Res. 96- ff'~
regarding past and ongoing compliance by the PUD with RCW 54.04.030, including but not
limited to the appropriate expenditure of PUD tax revenues collected from City resident property
owners for purposes directly benefiting city taxpayers.
ADO~FI'ED by the ~~ncil of the City of Port Townsend and signed by the Mayor
on this 2B%~'day of , 1996.
/
Julie M~ulloch, Mayor
Attest:
V6ra Franz, ]Deputy City
TimO~c~ahan, City Attorney
05/21/96 CA§tlm/form/pudtax{*.doc}
June 3, 1996 2 Res. 96- d~'7