Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1938-12-01
COUNTY VOTES
ON PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT

due to the newness and lack of un
Outstanding regarding its operations
the Executive Committee of the Doug
las County Pomona Grange at re
cent meeting felt it advisable o ex-
plain more fully some of the facts
surrounding the establishment and
the detectives of the districts. The
following article should tend to ac-
quaint the reader more fully with the
bill.
A public utility district is a munic-
ipal or public corporation created I'M
der the law commonly referred to as
the Grange Power Bill (Chapter L,
Laws of Washington, 1880. This
law was proposed as an initiative
measure and adopted oy the vote OF
the people of this State at the general
election of November, 1880.
The purposes of enacting ehis meas
ure are to enable the people of the
state to secure lower rates for cleo
tricity for all uses, and to extend
electric and water service to localities
which formerly had been without the
same. To take more complete advan-
tage of Federal Power plants and more
widely disseminate low cost energy
to users throughout the state.
The district is controlled by the
people of the district through three
non-partisan commissioners. These
commissioners are elected by the vot-
ers of the district for terms of three
years. One elected each year at
special election thereby taking poll
tics out of the issue This election
will be held Saturday December 3rd
and it is extremely important that
every voter cast his ballot for a COM
missioner who is public spirited and
who stands firmly behind the bill and
it's sponsors.
These commissioners are authorized
to acquire and operate utilities for the
generation, transmission, and distribpq-
ton of electricity, and for the furnish
ing of water for domestic use and irri-
cation. TO determine the Feasibility
of acquiring particular utility, the
commissioners employ competent en-
gineers, who make detailed studies OF
the earnings of the utility, the costs
of operation, the physical conditions
of the properties, depreciation and
many other factors. Reports are rem
dered, and the commissioners arrive
at their decision after careful study
of the reports and after conferences
with the engineers and with the dis
trict IS attorney.
They may not levy a tax of more
than two mills in any year. They may
not issue general obligation bonds in
excess Of 11a %c of the taxable prop
erty within the district, ~unless at
least 500 of the electors of the dis
trict voting upon the proposition
should approve of larger bond issue.
The commissioners do not intend
to issue any general obligation bonds
whatever. They do not intend to levy
any tax except that necessary to de-
fray the operating expenses of the
district pending the acquisition OF the
utilities first to be acquired. This pol
icy has been adopted generally by the
commissioners Of other public utility
districts throughout the state. The &C
QUESTION of utilities will be financed
by the issuance and sale of utility
revenue bonds, bonds which are pay
able solely out Of the revenues of a
particular utility. By the terms OF
these bonds the holder Thereof must
look to these revenues only for the
payment of principal and interest on
these bonds. The utility district is
not under any duty to levy any tax
to pay either the principal or interest
OH such bond. A utility revenue bond
is not claim or lien upon any tax
able property in the district.
Seventeen cities in this state own
and operate their own electric utili-
ties, including Seattle, Tacoma, Port
Angeles, Blaine, Sumas, Ellensburg,
Centralia, Waterville, Cashmere, Chen
ey, Ruston, Eatonville, Steilacoom,
Fircrest, South Gle Elum, and Chew
elah. All of the cities and towns men
toned have been able to effect sub
stantial savings in operations. Some
of the municipalities, such as Blaine,
Centralia, Cheney. Chewelah, sumas
and Waterville, have applied these
savings to the construction of public
buildings, and the general support of
the city government.
Tho ooo,,icition IF ,,+i1it1, nronortioc