Letter to the Editor – Citizens without power
Dear Editor:
The Governor and Washington legislators have bypassed, stymied, and limited citizen participation. Senate Bill 5808 was signed into law on April 10th. It bypasses public participation in the annexation process and allows the County, City or Town, and affected Fire District officials to form an interlocal agreement that allows an annexation that cannot be challenged by citizens.
As I understand SB 5808, a referendum by the citizens is not available if all parties (fire districts, the county, and the city) are in agreement. If either the annexing city or town elected officials and the county elected officials disagrees, the process stops. If they agree, then the choice to annex is up to the Fire Districts. Getting agreements on salaries, jurisdictional boundaries, and levels of service will add to the costs to citizens. It will be expensive. However, It’s only when the fire districts disagree do the citizens get a chance to vote on their destiny.
The bill was apparently written to protect fire districts. It wasn’t written to allow citizen participation in the annexation process.
Will cities and counties use the interlocal agreement to force annexation? I believe they will. Counties are finding it harder to balance the budget and may solicit cities to initiate the interlocal agreement process. It does require an agreement on multiple issues including costs sharing and levels of service. Cities can require the county to repair and upgrade capital facilities. Counties will resist. That leaves the annexation process in the hands of elected officials, not citizens. If the interlocal process is used, it will be timed just after an election, not before. That will protect existing elected official from political exposure and accountability.
SB 5808 protects fire districts but it comes at the expense of the citizens of the annexing city or town, and the citizens in the proposed annexation area. If they can’t convince the fire district(s) to disagree with the interlocal agreement, citizens don’t get a chance to participate in the process. Also, the Boundary Review Board is still involved although the interlocal agreement process makes the decision for them. It negates the need for the Board. King County could save the $300,000 per year it cost to support the Board. It would help the county balance its budget.
Robert L. Style
For a non-partisan legislative staff analysis of the bill, download the Final Bill Report of SB 5808.
Posted by Admin on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Filed under Letters · Tagged with Annexation
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I guess Bob Style’ s name says it all…I could tell it was his ’style’ by only reading the headline. Bob Style certainly does have a ’style’!
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In reading this letter it sounds like the citizens of not only the PAA but the citizens of Kirkland have no say so in the annexation. That is definitely not constitutional. We all should have the right to vote on the annexation. I attended the meeting on April 7th with the City Council and I would say from that meeting they will do what ever the council wants to annex. The citizens have no say so. However, the Fire Department of Woodinvill and Kirkland did not agree on the annexation. Least that is the way I heard it. Again, how can they not give us the chance to vote on it. Sounds like a railroad job to me. All citizens of the PAA and Kirkland should rise up against this.
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Do Mr. Style or Mr. Peterson have some information that indicates that Kirkland City Council members would take action against the best interests of the City? If they have evidence that some immoral, illegal, or unethical act is taking place they should bring it to light. Otherwise get with the facts–we have a representative form of government. The City Council listens to the arguments and facts, and then takes action. (And, of course, when Mr. Style is on the Council he’ll put up with perpetual sniping and second guessing of any and all of his decisions. Won’t he?)
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Jimi, Jimi, Jimi
Have you spent the last few years in a monastery?
How many examples of greed, corruption, malfeasance, misfeasance and incompetence do you want us to list?
How about we start with the travesty that has Tom Hodgson in bed with CiViK and the tens of thousands of dollars that cost Kirkland taxpayers and the equal (or greater) amount it cost the developer?
Perhaps the $100 head tax levied on each (full time equivalent) employee in the city (cept of course for Fred Meyer and a few other favorites).
How about the refusal to make DEEP cuts in the parks department, but instead boosting fees like moorage (bringing retail customers to Kirkland), parking (more customers) and parks (even more customers)?
Perhaps when you ask about “evidence that some immoral, illegal, or unethical act is taking place” you are talking about [names removed - Ed.] and the minions that cover their tracks at The Kirkland Building Department – perpetuating the illegal tax machine called ‘fines’. The people named lie to extort money. If you or I did it we’d rightfully be called thieves – not public servants.
How about the new ‘parking fee structure’ designed to hit only ONE industry – restaurants. Now instituted, the publicly owned parking lots at The Marina and at Lake and Central only charge for parking between the hours of 5pm and 9pm – the sweet-spot of the restaurant trade. Retail gets a free pass, Nightclubs get a free pass, art galleries get a free pass and banks get a free pass. The VAST majority of the businesses impacted by this ‘parking plan’ are restaurants.
You might call these actions evidence of stupidity and not evidence of “ immoral, illegal, or unethical act(s).” I guess I’d have to ask one question in response:
Which is worse?
John
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