Committee holds bill on alternative process to dissolve recreation districts

The Senate State Affairs Committee voted to hold House Bill 102 at the chair’s discretion to allow further study after members expressed concerns and requested additional information.

Representative Jeff Ehlers introduced House Bill 102, which would alter the two-step process to dissolve a recreation district. Current law requires a petition equal to 20% of registered voters in the district followed by a public vote; Representative Ehlers said growth in districts such as West Ada means that a 20% petition now requires thousands of signatures (he estimated about 19,000 for parts of Meridian), making dissolution onerous even when the district’s board supports dissolution. The bill would add an alternative in step one: if a majority of the district board approves, the board may take the petition to county commissioners and then proceed to the required public election (step two would still require a majority vote of electors in the district).

Senators asked whether multiple recreation districts across the state face similar issues; Ehlers said several counties with growing populations have districts that could find the alternative path useful but emphasized it would be optional for district boards. After brief questions, Senator Anthony moved that House Bill 102 be held subject to the chair’s call to permit additional study; the committee adopted the motion by voice vote.