House committee unanimously endorses Goehner's water-sewer district bill

OLYMPIA — A House committee has unanimously endorsed legislation sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner (R-Dryden) that aims to streamline the process for water-sewer districts to sell surplus property.

Senate Bill 5467 would update financial thresholds for property sales, doubling the current $2,500 threshold for the notice-of-intention requirement that water-sewer districts must meet when selling personal property. Additionally, the threshold for permitting private sales of real property owned by districts would increase to $7,500 from the current $5,000 limit.

"Senate Bill 5467 is a common-sense update that ensures our water-sewer districts can operate more efficiently without unnecessary bureaucratic delays," said Goehner. "By adjusting outdated financial thresholds, we're cutting red tape and enabling districts to manage their surplus property in a manner that makes fiscal sense, while maintaining transparency and accountability."

The legislation is presented as a measure to help water-sewer districts adapt to current economic conditions while focusing on their primary services.

"This bill reflects the economic realities of today and helps our local water-sewer districts focus on their core mission—delivering reliable services to our communities," Goehner added. "These updates strike the right balance between efficiency and oversight, ensuring that small asset sales are not entangled in outdated regulations while still upholding responsible stewardship of public resources."

Following the committee's endorsement, the bill now moves forward for potential consideration by the full House of Representatives.