The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting Dec. 1 heard from Mike Martin, Burien City Manager regarding the city’s efforts to annex North Highline.

He has been in discussions with both the King County Executive's office and legislators in Olympia regarding the retention of the sales tax credit that Gov. Gregoire has proposed to reduce.

Martin has said previously that Burien would lose $50,000 annually under that proposal. As the law exists now, Burien will continue to receive the credit for the next eight years as part of the earlier annexation of Bourlevard Park.

"If we manage to keep it, it's not going to be enough," Martin said, "because now this cloud that would make us fear having it taken away every year has created such uncertainty that we can't just say OK...and we go ahead and annex and Olympia comes along and says no. I'm trying make that very clear to the people that make the decisions."

He spoke about creating a mechanism, that would fund the annexation and city operations for the long term. "I don't buy the argument that you hear down there that you can't bind future legislators," Martin said.

"It's very unlikely we will know what the outcome of this is until after Christmas," Martin added.

"We have a hearing before the Boundary Review Board on Jan. 9th," and they have a period of time to consider that, "but we will know in February or March what they are thinking."

The public hearing will be held on Jan. 9, and if necessary, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m., at Cascade Middle School, 11212 10th Ave. SW. The Boundary Review Board will determine whether to accept the proposal, modify the boundaries, or reject it.

The annexation would increase the population of Burien by about 17,300 and add about 3.2 square miles to the city including the White Center area, Top Hat, Beverly Park, Glendale, and portions of Boulevard Park, Riverton Heights and Shorewood.

Martin said, "The board is going to approve the annexation. There's no reason not to."