Assumption authorized — Disposition of properties and rights — Outstanding indebtedness — Management and control.
RCW 35.13A.020
in effect(1) Whenever all of the territory of a district is included within the corporate boundaries of a city, the city legislative body may adopt a resolution or ordinance to assume jurisdiction over all of the district. (2) Upon the assumption, all real and personal property, franchises, rights, assets, taxes levied but not collected for the district for other than indebtedness, water, sewer, and drainage facilities, and all other facilities and equipment of the district shall become the property of the city subject to all financial, statutory, or contractual obligations of the district for the security or performance of which the property may have been pledged. The city, in addition to its other powers, shall have the power to manage, control, maintain, and operate the property, facilities and equipment and to fix and collect service and other charges from owners and occupants of properties so served by the city, subject, however, to any outstanding indebtedness, bonded or otherwise, of the district payable from taxes, assessments, or revenues of any kind or nature and to any other contractual obligations of the district. (3) The city may by resolution or ordinance of its legislative body, assume the obligation of paying such district indebtedness and of levying and of collecting or causing to be collected the district taxes, assessments, and utility rates and charges of any kind or nature to pay and secure the payment of the indebtedness, according to all of the terms, conditions and covenants incident to the indebtedness, and shall assume and perform all other outstanding contractual obligation of the district in accordance with all of their terms, conditions, and covenants. An assumption shall not be deemed to impair the obligation of any indebtedness or other contractual obligation. During the period until the outstanding indebtedness of the district has been discharged, the territory of the district and the owners and occupants of property therein, shall continue to be liable for its and their proportionate share of the indebtedness, including any outstanding assessments levied within any local improvement district or utility local improvement district thereof. The city shall assume the obligation of causing the payment of the district's indebtedness, collecting the district's taxes, assessments, and charges, and observing and performing the other district contractual obligations. The legislative body of the city shall act as the officers of the district for the purpose of certifying the amount of any property tax to be levied and collected therein, and causing service and other charges and assessments to be collected from the property or owners or occupants thereof, enforcing the collection and performing all other acts necessary to ensure performance of the district's contractual obligations in the same manner and by the same means as if the territory of the district had not been included within the boundaries of a city. When a city assumes the obligation of paying the outstanding indebtedness, and if property taxes or assessments have been levied and service and other charges have accrued for this purpose but have not been collected by the district prior to the assumption, the same when collected shall belong and be paid to the city and be used by the city so far as necessary for payment of the indebtedness of the district existing and unpaid on the date the city assumes the indebtedness. Any funds received by the city which have been collected for the purpose of paying any bonded or other indebtedness of the district, shall be used for the purpose for which they were collected and for no other purpose. Any outstanding indebtedness shall be paid as provided in the terms, conditions, and covenants of the indebtedness. All funds of the district on deposit with the county treasurer at the time of title transfer shall be used by the city solely for the benefit of the assumed utility and shall not be transferred to or used for the benefit of the city's general fund.
(1) Whenever all of the territory of a district is included within the corporate boundaries of a city, the city legislative body may adopt a resolution or ordinance to assume jurisdiction over all of the district.
(2) Upon the assumption, all real and personal property, franchises, rights, assets, taxes levied but not collected for the district for other than indebtedness, water, sewer, and drainage facilities, and all other facilities and equipment of the district shall become the property of the city subject to all financial, statutory, or contractual obligations of the district for the security or performance of which the property may have been pledged. The city, in addition to its other powers, shall have the power to manage, control, maintain, and operate the property, facilities and equipment and to fix and collect service and other charges from owners and occupants of properties so served by the city, subject, however, to any outstanding indebtedness, bonded or otherwise, of the district payable from taxes, assessments, or revenues of any kind or nature and to any other contractual obligations of the district.
(3) The city may by resolution or ordinance of its legislative body, assume the obligation of paying such district indebtedness and of levying and of collecting or causing to be collected the district taxes, assessments, and utility rates and charges of any kind or nature to pay and secure the payment of the indebtedness, according to all of the terms, conditions and covenants incident to the indebtedness, and shall assume and perform all other outstanding contractual obligation of the district in accordance with all of their terms, conditions, and covenants. An assumption shall not be deemed to impair the obligation of any indebtedness or other contractual obligation. During the period until the outstanding indebtedness of the district has been discharged, the territory of the district and the owners and occupants of property therein, shall continue to be liable for its and their proportionate share of the indebtedness, including any outstanding assessments levied within any local improvement district or utility local improvement district thereof. The city shall assume the obligation of causing the payment of the district's indebtedness, collecting the district's taxes, assessments, and charges, and observing and performing the other district contractual obligations. The legislative body of the city shall act as the officers of the district for the purpose of certifying the amount of any property tax to be levied and collected therein, and causing service and other charges and assessments to be collected from the property or owners or occupants thereof, enforcing the collection and performing all other acts necessary to ensure performance of the district's contractual obligations in the same manner and by the same means as if the territory of the district had not been included within the boundaries of a city.
When a city assumes the obligation of paying the outstanding indebtedness, and if property taxes or assessments have been levied and service and other charges have accrued for this purpose but have not been collected by the district prior to the assumption, the same when collected shall belong and be paid to the city and be used by the city so far as necessary for payment of the indebtedness of the district existing and unpaid on the date the city assumes the indebtedness. Any funds received by the city which have been collected for the purpose of paying any bonded or other indebtedness of the district, shall be used for the purpose for which they were collected and for no other purpose. Any outstanding indebtedness shall be paid as provided in the terms, conditions, and covenants of the indebtedness. All funds of the district on deposit with the county treasurer at the time of title transfer shall be used by the city solely for the benefit of the assumed utility and shall not be transferred to or used for the benefit of the city's general fund.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.13A&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026