Petition Method for Fire Districts in Spokane County

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RCW 52.04.031- 051 is the Washington State Law which describes the process for the petition method of annexation for fire districts. This process is outlined below for fire districts in Spokane County, including the SEPA (RCW 43.21C) and Boundary Review Board (RCW 36.93) steps.

  1. A petition is filed with the Board of Fire Commissioners containing:
    • signatures of owners of not less than sixty percent of the land area,
    • a legal description and map outlining the boundaries of the property to be annexed, and
    • the financial obligation, if any, to be assumed by the area to be annexed.
  2. If the Board of Fire Commissioners accepts the petition, it then fixes a date for a public hearing, publishes a hearing notice in a newspaper, and posts three notices in the proposed annexation area.
  3. At this time, the SEPA requirements for an Environmental Checklist and a Threshold Determination can be completed and sent to the Department of Ecology and affected agencies by the Fire District. There is a fourteen-day comment period.
  4. The Board of Fire Commissioners holds the public hearing, accepts testimony, closes the public hearing and then determines whether to accept the area for annexation and any financial obligation the area will assume. An Intent to Annex Resolution can be signed by the Board of Fire Commissioners.
  5. A Notice of Intention is then filed with the Boundary Review Board. An agency with a concern about the annexation has 45 days to request a public hearing before the Boundary Review Board. If there is a hearing, the Boundary Review Board may approve, modify, divide assets and functions, or deny the proposal. If there is no hearing before the Boundary Review Board, the Notice of Intention is approved after the 45-day period elapses.
  6. The Boundary Review Board then sends to the Fire District, either its written Hearing Decision or a Certification of the Expiration of the 45-Day Period.
  7. The Board of Fire Commissioners then adopts a final resolution officially annexing the area, including any modifications that the Boundary Review Board has made.
  8. This Final Resolution and a recording fee are sent to the Boundary Review Board Office.
  9. The Boundary Review Board Director will verify that the legal description is the same as approved by the Boundary Review Board and will record one copy with the Spokane County Auditor and file two copies with the Spokane County Assessor and one with the Spokane County Board of Commissioners.
  10. The Boundary Review Board then changes official maps and notifies the various county departments and affected agencies of the changed boundaries.