WACD is seeking input from its member districts on the amendments made to HB 1652. This is WACD’s priority legislation for this session, the legislature adopting the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Elections between WACD and WSCC in 2021.
When the bill was adopted by the House Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations on February 3rd, two amendments were made to the bill. One would require the supervisors who are elected under the Title 29A process (an option under HB 1652 available to all districts) to complete financial disclosure forms as required by the Public Disclosure Commission. The other would create a “statement of financial affairs” (see below) to be completed by all potential supervisors, both supervisors elected or appointed to their positions.
This document would be created by the Commission to apply for 2023 supervisor elections and appointments. If your district or district supervisors have an opinion on these changes to the bill, WACD would be very interested in hearing from you. Please contact contact Ryan Baye, WACD’s Legislative Director at your earliest convenience, because HB 1652 is eligible for a vote by the House of Representatives starting February 8th.
HB 1652 Bill Language on “Statement of Financial Affairs”
Appointed supervisors, elected supervisors, and candidates running for election to a supervisor position in a conservation district that holds its elections under this chapter must file a statement of financial affairs for the preceding calendar year or for that portion of the year served. The statement must include, at a minimum, information disclosing:
(a) Real property interests held by the person;
(b) Business interests within the conservation district boundary, whether owned directly by or in partnership with the person; and
(c) Information relating to grants from the conservation district previously received by the person, if any.
To translate the legalese into potential questions to be asked of supervisors, WACD is speculating that supervisors would need to disclose (a) if they owned property or operated a farm within the district and (b) if the supervisor has received funding from the CD.
The full language of the amended bill is available here – https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1652-S.pdf?q=20220207100757