Territory within the county or counties in which a district is located, or territory adjoining or in close proximity to a district but which is located in another county, may be annexed to and become a part of the district. All annexations shall be accomplished in the following manner: Ten percent of the number of registered voters residing in the territory proposed to be annexed who voted in the last municipal general election may file a petition with the district commissioners and cause the question to be submitted to the voters of the territory whether such territory will be annexed and become a part of the district. If the commissioners concur in the petition, they shall file it with the county auditor of the county in which all or the largest geographic portion of the real property proposed to be annexed is located, who shall, within ten days, examine the signatures thereon and certify to the sufficiency or insufficiency thereof. If the area proposed to be annexed is located in more than one county, the auditor of the county in which the largest geographic portion of the area proposed to be annexed is located shall be the lead auditor and shall immediately transfer a copy of the petitions to the auditor of each other county in which the area proposed to be annexed is located. Within ten days after the lead auditor received the petition, the auditors of these other counties shall certify to the lead auditor: (1) The number of voters of that county residing in the area proposed to be annexed who voted at the last municipal general election; and (2) the number of valid signatures on the petition of voters of that county residing in the area proposed to be annexed. The lead auditor shall certify the sufficiency of the petition after receiving this information. If the petition contains a sufficient number of valid signatures, the lead county auditor shall transmit it, together with a certificate of sufficiency attached thereto, to the commissioners of the district.

If there are no registered voters residing in the territory to be annexed, the petition may be signed by such a number as appear of record to own at least a majority of the acreage in the territory, and the petition shall disclose the total number of acres of land in the territory and the names of all record owners of land therein. If the commissioners are satisfied as to the sufficiency of the petition and concur therein, they shall send it, together with their certificate of concurrence attached thereto to the county legislative authority of each county in which the territory proposed to be annexed is located.

The county legislative authority, upon receipt of a petition certified to contain a sufficient number of signatures of registered voters, or upon receipt of a petition signed by such a number as own at least a majority of the acreage, together with a certificate of concurrence signed by the commissioners, at a regular or special meeting shall cause to be published once a week for at least two weeks in a newspaper in general circulation throughout the territory proposed to be annexed a notice that the petition has been filed, stating the time of the meeting at which it shall be presented, and setting forth the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed.

Part headings not law—Effective date—1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.