Letters to the Editor
Wait for vote
So, Burien is attempting to kill the annexation agreement with Seattle and King County, AGAIN.
Last year, all the parties were called to Olympia to work out a compromise that would properly fund both cities to annex part of North Highline.
Everyone showed up; legislative leaders, King County, Seattle, all ready to find common ground. Burien showed up at the meeting without the authority to make decisions. Result: No additional funding for North Highline.
Then a King County and Seattle met in a public hearing with Burien, again, to find common ground and go to Olympia together to secure the funding that both cities need to properly fund annexation. Instead, some on the Burien City Council spent most of the time ridiculing the other governments. Result: No additional funding for North Highline.
Then Burien submits a partial annexation proposal to the Boundary Review Board, then withdraws it, when the North Highline Fire Department points out that Burien's annexation plan, and their unwillingness to negotiate (its all in the written record folks), would decimate fire services for North Highline residents.
And now, after months of meetings, an agreement is almost within reach. So Burien threatens to withdraw again.
Burien Mayor McGilton, Seattle Mayor Nickels, and Seattle City Council President Conlin have all stated publicly that our right to vote is protected under any annexation proposal.
Burien is now stating that they are concerned about ensuring that right to vote.
So, while Burien is claiming to protect North Highline voter rights, Burien is planning to reduce voter participation in its annexation election by proposing a special annexation election date in May or June (instead of November.)
They know full well that special elections (even with an all mail-in ballot), significantly reduce voter participation, and that communities of color are less likely to participate.
If Burien was really worried about protecting voter rights, they would start with their own citizens, and allow an advisory vote on whether to annex at all.
And if they do hold an annexation vote, they should hold it during the November general election. Any other decision is hypocrisy in its highest form.
Mark Ufkes
White Center
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Alcina is correct. Mr.
Alcina is correct. Mr. Ufkes has again allowed his desire to annex White Center into Seattle to override any concern for truth or accuracy.
Burien withdrew the earlier annexation proposal after Seattle threatened to sue. The two cities worked out an agreement under which Seattle and Burien divided North Highline into two areas of influence in which neither would oppose annexation by the other in their respective areas. Even though the assumption by Burien was that any annexation would require an election by the residents of the area to be annexed, that was not written into the parties' agreement. That agreement meets the requirements of an inter-local agreement, under which Seattle could annex its area without an election, so Burien asked Seattle to include in the agreement a requirement that any annexation be by election, but the Mayor's office, on behalf of the City of Seattle, refused to do so. It is therefore up to Burien to make sure that the right of NH residents to vote on annexation is preserved. It is my understanding that the Mayor of Seattle will not oppose the addition of language requiring an election, but also will not support it.
Another issue with Mr. Ufkes' letter is that fire services in NH were never in danger due to possible annexation. Seattle's concern is that it wants the NH fire station on SW 112th to be in "its" area so that if Seattle annexes the area it can improve SFD's response time to Arbor Heights. Changing the boundary of Burien's proposed annexation to leave out that fire station was the effect of the agreement reached between the cities.
Mr. Ufkes has his "facts"
Mr. Ufkes has his "facts" incorrect yet again. The very earliest the City of Burien could get the North Highline annexation vote on the ballot would be the primary election in August 2009. To be factually correct, the City of Burien doesn't have the authority to decide when it gets onto the ballot, that is a decision made by King County. The City of Burien can only request when they would like it to be on the ballot.
Anyone can watch the video of the Jan. 12, 2009 Burien City Council meeting on-line here. http://www.burienmedia.org The part of the meeting about annexation starts at about 1:17 into the video and the process and the date when the election could occur is discussed. Burien City Manager, Mike Martin, states at 1:28 on the video, that it will be "either the August or November ballot", not before then. City of Burien Community Development Director Scott Greenberg also clearly states the earliest it could be on the ballot is the August primary.
In other words, it will be impossible for the annexation vote in North Highline to be a special spring election as Mr. Ufkes states is going to happen.
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