OLYMPIA — The city of Marysville secured permission Tuesday to avoid a future vote on a deal to provide water service to a couple of thousand residents.
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a new law that exempts the city from a requirement to hold an election that carried a potential cost to taxpayers of $800,000.
The issue stems from Marysville’s annexation of the area north of Soper Hill in 2005 known as Sunnyside.
Marysville and the Snohomish County Public Utility District have been working on an agreement in which the city would become the water service provider for about 4,000 residents. Talks center on what the city will pay the district for the pipes, pumps and other gear it now uses to get water to the homes.
State law requires the final deal be approved by voters in the entire utility district, which covers all of Snohomish County plus Camano Island. A special election could have cost as much as $800,000 while putting it on a general election ballot would have run around $130,000.
City officials not only wanted to save money, they also wanted to avoid the risk of voters living outside Marysville rejecting the agreement.
While House Bill 1407 specifically exempts the city of Marysville from holding an election, the city council must still act on the agreement in a public meeting.
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