(1) It is the
intent of the state legislature that political subdivisions within the state of
Washington contribute to the costs of the state's certification program for
minority and women's business enterprises. For the purpose of this section,
political subdivisions means any city, town, county, special purpose district,
public corporation created by the state, municipal corporation, or
quasi-municipal corporation within the state of Washington that administers a
policy or program, or funds from whatever source, which requires or encourages
the use of certified minority, women, or disadvantaged business
enterprises.
(2) Effective July 1,
1993, the office shall allocate a portion of its biennial operational costs to
political subdivisions. Each political subdivision shall pay a proportionate
share of this allocation based on the formula set forth in subsection (4) of
this section.
(3)
(a) The fee charged to each political
subdivision for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, and subsequent biennia
unless revised by rule, shall be based on the annual average of expenditures
for capital projects, supplies and other services for the most recent available
biennium as reported by the state auditor's office. Data on the annual average
of expenditures by school districts and educational service districts will be
obtained from the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The basis
for the fee to be charged to the Housing Authorities is the number of
low-income units owned or managed during the last fiscal year as reported to
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The maximum amount
charged to any political subdivision must not exceed $60,000 in the biennium
beginning July 1, 2023. In subsequent biennia, the maximum amount charged must
be adjusted for inflation as measured in the implicit price deflator
index.
(b) When insufficient data
is available to calculate the average expenditures from the sources listed in
(a) of this subsection, the office may either use other sources for the data or
estimate the amount of relevant expenditures. In either event, the office shall
allow the affected political subdivisions to offer alternative data on which to
base its calculation. New political subdivisions will be charged based on the
office's estimate of the annual average of relevant expenditures by the entity
for the current biennium.
(c)
After paying the fee, the political subdivisions may challenge the office about
the accuracy of the data used to calculate the fee under (a) of this
subsection. Upon verification by the state auditor, the fee may be revised and
refund issued or additional fee assessed.
(d) Following the initial billing in each
biennium, which will include the total amount due for the biennium beginning
July 1, 2003, the office will mail invoices on a quarterly basis one month
before the start of each quarter for the outstanding balance at that time.
Payments shall be due within 30 calendar days after receipt of the
invoice.
(4)
(a) The following formula will be used to
calculate the fees: The political subdivision's average annual expenditures
multiplied by 0.00006.
(b) The fee
to Housing Authorities will be one dollar per low-income unit owned or managed
during the last fiscal year.
(5) The office shall develop a policy and
procedure for collection of any invoice that is not paid within 30 calendar
days. The office shall distribute the collection policy and procedure to all
political subdivisions along with the initial and quarterly billings.
