The bill amends the definition of "rural county" for public facilities funding in Washington State by updating the criteria used to classify counties. Specifically, it establishes that a "rural county" can be defined as any county with a population density of fewer than 100 persons per square mile, a county with a population density of 100 persons per square mile or greater that does not have a city with a population exceeding 75,000, or a county that is smaller than 225 square miles. This new definition replaces the previous criteria that were solely based on population density and removes the requirement for annual publication by the office of financial management.

Additionally, the bill outlines the conditions under which rural counties can impose a sales and use tax to finance public facilities that serve economic development purposes, affordable workforce housing, and economic development office personnel. It mandates that the funds collected must be used for specific projects listed in the county's economic development plans and requires counties to report on the use of these funds to the state auditor. The bill also includes provisions for the state auditor to create a publicly accessible report detailing the revenue collected and expenditures made by each county under this tax.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 82.14.370