Annexation open house for North Highline residents on Nov. 16

Nov. 4, 2005

Media advisory:

Annexation open house for North Highline residents on Nov. 16; King County leading outreach on important governance issue

King County will host an annexation open house for residents of unincorporated North Highline on Wed., Nov. 16. Unincorporated North Highline includes the neighborhoods of White Center, Salmon Creek, Boulevard Park, Beverly Park, Glendale, Riverton Heights, Shorewood, South Park, and Top Hat. The open house, coordinated by the King County Office of Management and Budget, will include a brief overview of the annexation process and its implications for local roads, parks, service, and taxes, as well as small group discussions and a question and answer period.

The event will take place:

Wed., Nov. 16, 2005
7-9 p.m.
Mt. View Elementary School
10811 – 12th Ave. SW

The open house, which precedes two independent community-led governance forums, aims to provide the necessary background information for residents to become informed participants in the community-wide dialogue about incorporating or joining either the City of Burien or the City of Seattle . All residents are encouraged to attend. Translation services will be available.

Over the last two years, the community-wide dialogue surrounding annexation has been elevated, in part due to the increased interest by the cities of Burien and Seattle in annexing all or part of the North Highline community. A governance study managed by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) has also heightened community awareness of the annexation issue.

On Nov. 21, the NHUAC will hold a public meeting to listen to community input regarding the NHUAC's preliminary recommendation to join the City of Burien. The meeting, held at Evergreen High School, will start at 7 p.m.

On Dec. 3, the Annual Community Summit, led by the Trusted Advocates, will focus on the issue of governance. Representatives from the cities of Burien and Seattle are expected to attend.

North Highline is an unincorporated urban area bordered by the cities of Seattle, Burien, SeaTac, and Tukwila. King County is the regional and local service provider for the 32,000 residents of North Highline. When a community achieves incorporated status, by annexing or forming its own city, the county continues to provide regional services, but local services become the responsibility of a city.

In 2004, King County embarked on a multi-year initiative, partnering with cities, communities and the state legislature to accomplish annexations at a faster pace, finding additional funding sources to smooth the transition to city government, and, where appropriate, seeking changes in state annexation law.

Contacts:

De'Sean Quinn, King County Executive Office, 206-296-4304
Mauricio Martinez, King County Executive Office, 206-296-4587
Elissa Benson, King County Office of Management & Budget, 206-296-3414
Sarah Jepson, King County Executive Office, 206-296-4167