Public Facilities Districts (PFDs)

Overview

Any city or group of contiguous cities in a county of less than one million population may create a public facilities district (PFD) under chapter 35.57 RCW to develop, improve, and operate "regional centers" (defined in RCW 35.57.020) costing at least $10 million and serving a regional population.

In addition, any county may create a public facilities district under chapter 36.100 RCW to develop and operate sports, entertainment, convention, or recreational facilities, as well as "regional centers" as defined above.

Public facilities districts are municipal corporations with independent taxing authority and are taxing districts under the state constitution. PFDs must be coextensive with the boundaries of the jurisdictions that created them.

Funding Options

PFDs may impose a number of taxes, fees, and charges, including:

• A 0.2% sales tax which must be approved by a simple majority of voters (RCW 82.14.048), with an additional 0.2% taxing authority for "distressed PFDs" which currently applies only to the City of Wenatchee;
• Admission taxes up to 5% (RCW 35.57.100 and RCW 36.100.210);
• Parking taxes up to 10% (RCW 35.57.110 and RCW 36.100.220);
• General obligation and revenue bonds;
• Lodging taxes (for county PFDs only under RCW 36.100.040);
• "State shared" sales tax credits (RCW 82.14.390 and RCW 82.14.485); and
• User charges and fees.

Financial Feasibility: Before the formation of a new PFD, the issuance of new PFD debt, or the long-term lease, purchase, or development of a PFD facility, the state Department of Commerce must conduct an independent financial feasibility review (see RCW 35.57.025 and RCW 36.100.025).

List of Public Facilities Districts by County

Asotin County

• Asotin Public Facilities District – Provides funding for Asotin County Family Aquatic Center
  • Resolutions

Benton County

• Kennewick Public Facilities District – Responsible for design, construction, and operation of the Three Rivers Convention Center
  • Ordinance No. 3966 (2000) – Creates the Kennewick Public Facilities District; includes subsequent resolution appointing first board members
• Richland Public Facilities District – Supports The REACH Museum to educate visitors about the Manhattan Project and its impacts on the surrounding area
  • Charter and Bylaws
  • Ordinance No. 18-02 (2002) – Creates Richland PFD to acquire, construct, operate, and/or finance a regional center in Richland, including any related parking facilities
• Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District – Formed in 2010 through interlocal agreement between Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco (Franklin County) to assist in financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of regional aquatic facility. Link includes interlocal agreement and bylaws

Chelan and Douglas Counties

In a 2012 Washington Supreme Court decision, In re Bond Issuance of Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center, the Court held that a "contingent loan agreement" had to be considered in determining whether the city had exceeded its debt limit. Wenatchee had agreed to make debt payments on behalf of a public facilities district, if the district failed to do so. Even though the debt was contingent, it was essentially a guaranty placing risk on the city and its taxpayers; to be valid, the agreement needed to be approved by a vote of the people.

• Greater Wenatchee Public Facilities District
  • Final Bill Report SSB 5984 – See Legislative Summary of Laws of 2012, ch. 4 (SSB 5984) regarding the Greater Wenatchee Public Facilities District December 31, 2011 bond default.
  • Interlocal Agreement – Forming a PFD between Chelan and Douglas Counties, the Cities of Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan, Cashmere, Entiat, and Rock Island, and the Town of Waterville.
  • Town Toyota Center
  • Wenatchee Municipal Code Ch. 5.104 – Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District Sales and Use Tax

Clark County

• Clark County Public Facilities District Ordinance No. 2002-07-21 (2002) – PFD was formed for the purpose of participating in the study, planning, and development of two regional centers in Clark County: the Vancouver Convention Center and the Exhibition Hall at the Fairgrounds.
• Vancouver Public Facilities District Ordinance No. M-3461 (1999) – Creates the Vancouver Public Facilities District; charter of the Vancouver Public Facilities District

Cowlitz County

• Cowlitz County Public Facilities District – Owns Cowlitz County Event Center; facilitates potential future development of sports facilities, entertainment facilities, convention facilities, or regional centers
  • Resolution 99-240 (1999) – Creates Cowlitz County Public Facilities District

Franklin County

• Pasco Public Facilities District – Created in 2002; provides funding for aquatics facility and competition pool

Grays Harbor County

• Grays Harbor Public Facilities District
  • Ocean Shores Convention Center

King County

• Kent Special Events Center Public Facilities District
  • Ordinance No. 3852 (2007) – Creates Kent Special Events Center Public Facilities District; file includes interlocal agreement and bylaws of PFD
  • ShoWare Center
• Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District
  • King County Code Ch. 2.38 – Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District
  • T-Mobile Park

Kitsap County

• Kitsap Public Facilities District
  • Kitsap Conference Center – The Conference Center and parking garage below it were initially funded by a partnership of the City of Bremerton, Kitsap County and the Kitsap Public Facilities District. Subsequent public/private development partnerships added the many other elements to the Harborside Plaza complex.
  • Resolution No. 093-2000 (2000) – Creates PFD and provides for the appointment of members to the district; includes second resolution establishing terms and duties of the board of directors

Lewis County

• Lewis County Public Facilities District
  • NW Sports Hub – A joint partnership between the City of Centralia, Lewis County Public Facilities District, and the Centralia School District
  • Lewis County Event Center and Sports Complex LLC Umbrella Agreement (2010) – Agreement with the Lewis County Public Facilities District, Centralia School District, and Lewis County Event Center and Sports Complex LLC to construct and operate a new facility. The proposed center will bring sports tourmanents to the area, which will, in turn, provide additional income for restaurants, retail establishments, and overnight facilities.
  • Resolution No. 07-247 (2007) – Creating public facilities district

Pierce County

• Greater Tacoma Regional Convention Center Public Facilities District
  • Greater Tacoma Convention Center
  • Interlocal Agreement (1999) – Collaboration between Fife, Tacoma, University Place, and Lakewood for the creation of a Tacoma Convention Center Public Facilities District. Includes charter, bylaws, and subsequent interlocal operating agreement

Skagit County

• Skagit County Regional Public Facilities District
  • McIntyre Hall Performing Arts & Conference Center
  • Resolution No. 18364 (2001) – Forms Skagit County Regional Public Facilities District

Snohomish County

• Edmonds Public Facilities District – Provides support for Edmonds Center for the Arts. Includes charter, bylaws, interlocal agreements, and other documents
  • Ordinance No. 3358 (2001) – Creates PFD
• Everett Public Facilities District Angel of the Winds Arena
• Snohomish County Public Facilities District – Has provided funding support for Angel of the Winds Arena, Lynnwood Event Center, Edmonds Center for the Arts, and Boeing Future of Flight
  • Ordinance No. 01-041 (2001) – Creates the Snohomish County Public Facilities District
  • Policies, Key Reports & Documents – Includes charter, bylaws, and various policies, reports, and agreements
• The District (Lynnwood) – Originally created as South Snohomish County PFD; name changed to Lynnwood PFD in 2003 and then "The District" in 2023
  • Lynnwood Event Center
  • Ordinance No. 2266 (1999) – Creates public facilities district; includes original bylaws

Spokane County

• Spokane Public Facilities District
  • CenterPlace Regional Events Center – The project is a collaboration between Spokane Valley, Spokane County, and Spokane Public Facilities District.
  • Spokane Convention Center - Spokane Performing Arts Center

Thurston County

• Capital Area Regional Public Facilities District Board – The district served by this board encompasses Olympia, Lacey, and Thurston County in a Joint Public Facilities District.

Lacey

• Lacey Ordinance Nos. 1183 and 1196 (2002) – Adopts an interlocal agreement for creation of a public facilities district for a regional center and charter of a Lacey Public Facilities district; includes additional amendment ordinance
• Thurston County and Lacey Memorandum of Understanding (1999) – Agreement between Thurston County and Lacey  to jointly purchase, own, use, and maintain the Lacey-Thurston County Regional Athletic Complex

Olympia

• Olympia Public Facilities District Hands On Children's Museum

Walla Walla County

• Walla Walla County Unnumbered Resolution (2003) – Creates the Walla Walla County Public Facilities District

Whatcom County

• Bellingham-Whatcom Public Facilities District
  • Whatcom County Ordinance No. 2002-041 (2002) – Creates a joint public facilities district known as the Bellingham-Whatcom Public Facilities District to undertake the design, construction, operation, promotion, and financing of a regional center and/or related parking or other related facilities

Yakima County

• Yakima Regional Public Facilities District
  • Resolution No. R-2001-102 (2002) – Authorizes execution of design development, construction, financing, and operations agreement, and authorizing execution of lease of convention center to the public facilities district
  • Yakima Convention & Event Center – The District was established to lease and operate the facility. 

Recommended Resources

• Preston, Gates, and Ellis LLP: City and County Options for Creative Financing: PFDs, PDAs and 501(c)(3)s (2003)