City of Bainbridge Island v. State

In City of Bainbridge Island v. State, No. 00-2-00048-1 (filed in Thurston County Nov. 30, 1999, transferred to King County), cities Bainbridge Island and Bremerton alleged that I-695, section 2, violated article II, section 1(b)'s four percent voter signature requirement, article II, section 19's single-subject and subject-in-title requirements, and article II, section 37 (setting forth amended or revised acts). They also alleged that section 2 violates article VII, section 1 and article II, section 22 because it restricts the Legislature's constitutional power to enact laws by majority vote; that section 2 violates article I, section 23 because it will impair contracts between the cities and their bondholders; and that section 2 violates article XXIII because it attempts to amend the constitution. The cities of Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Lakewood (Cities) asserted that charges made by cities for goods and proprietary services are not subject to the voter approval requirements of section 2 of I-695 because they are not taxes within the meaning of I-695. This interpretive issue is the only part of the complaint which Lakewood joined in. The Cities sought declaratory and injunctive relief.