Deciding where to live is a personal decision that shouldn’t be made by elected officials. Yet, the Growth Management Act expects unincorporated urban areas and neighborhoods will eventually be annexed by surrounding cities. Municipal services are more efficiently delivered by cities than by the County, so such incorporations are wise for taxpayer dollars. Even as state law anticipates this will happen, the final decision about when and where unincorporated areas will be annexed is left to the residents themselves – exactly as it should be.
As a King County Councilmember, I will support residents facing annexation – including North Highline – as they decide which city they incorporate into. Until neighborhoods facing annexation decide which city they will become a part of, I will work to make sure they continue to receive essential services like police and fire protection. I will also fight to maintain services for communities that haven’t been annexed – like White Center – because until then King County is their local government.
