Bill Would Raise Surplus-Property Thresholds for Water and Sewer Districts

The committee heard Senate Bill 5467, a staff-sponsored measure that raises the dollar thresholds at which water and sewer districts must give public notice before selling surplus personal or real property.

Elizabeth Ren, committee staff, said current law allows water and sewer districts to sell personal property without notice if the value is under a specified limit and to sell real property privately only under certain thresholds. SB 5467 increases the personal-property threshold to $5,400 and increases the level at which real property may be sold privately to $7,500.

Keith Gannon (identified on the record as representing the 12th District) described the measure as an efficiency update that keeps the thresholds more in line with inflation. Committee members asked for examples of items affected; Gannon said a used laptop, for example, could be surplused without a competitive bid if under the threshold.

Devin Gomboski, representing the Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts, later testified in support and said the thresholds for real property were last adjusted in 2011 and for surplus personal property in 1993; the association worked with local media partners to find an appropriate inflation-adjusted figure.

No final action was recorded in the transcript; the hearing was held and testimony recorded.