This summer, the cities of Seattle and Burien are working to craft a joint proposal as to which portions of the North Highline area may be annexed into each city.

For the uninitiated, North Highline includes unincorporated White Center, as well as many surrounding unincorporated communities like Boulevard Park, Top Hat, Beverly Park and others.

Why does North Highline need to join a city? The state's Growth Management Act (GMA) gives the clear instruction that cities are the proper providers of local government services for urban and suburban communities. The GMA's adoption contributed to a rush to the ballot box as citizens in many of King County's unincorporated areas voted to join or form cities. Among the new South King County cities are Federal Way (1989), SeaTac (1989), and Burien (1992).

But, when new cities choose their boundaries they have a habit of favoring retail and commercial areas that generate significant amounts of sales tax. Purely residential neighborhoods, which cost more to serve than they provide in tax revenues, are often omitted. City fathers and mothers also draw city lines with an eye toward avoiding potentially expensive public works projects, such as the South Park Bridge.

In short, King County is left with ten major unincorporated urban "islands." Home to some 218,000 people, they are largely residential areas that cost more to serve than they produce in taxes. Recent initiatives have reduced the county's ability to raise revenues to pay for local services and-unlike cities-counties are not authorized to impose either utility taxes or business and occupation taxes.

Some people would say that King County is caught in the middle on the annexation issue. I would disagree-it's actually the residents of unincorporated areas who are in a jam. North Highline residents expect and deserve quality local services, but King County is quickly losing its ability to deliver them.

Why annex now? White Center, for example, is enjoying a renaissance through major investments such as the redevelopment of the former Park Lake Homes public housing complex as the mixed-income Greenbridge development and the proposed construction of the new Technology Access Foundation community learning facility in Lakewood Park. The timing is excellent for a city to take responsibility for continuing these improvements-rather than waiting on the sidelines as King County is forced to gradually cut back on the local services it provides.

Last year, the state of Washington stepped in to provide financial help for small cities considering annexations by creating incentives that give annexing cities a bigger share of local sales taxes for up to a decade.

Remaining unincorporated is not a solution - it simply means delaying a needed decision. Some people think they want North Highline to remain unincorporated, but perhaps what they are hoping is that things can "stay the same." Unfortunately, they can not. Time and circumstances have overtaken us.

Why should residents of Seattle or Burien support annexation? Burien residents have at least one purely financial reason-the city's fire and police services are intertwined with those in North Highline and it is argued that a full Seattle annexation would increase Burien's public safety costs. Burien's city council has worked hard, holding public hearings and reaching out to citizens on both sides of the Burien city limits to solicit ideas and opinion.

In the case of Seattle, it is to that city's benefit that North Highline's neighborhoods remain strong and attractive. White Center and South Park both straddle the Seattle city limits. Lines on the map don't actually exist on the ground: there is no wall down Roxbury Street separating unincorporated and incorporated. And history has shown us that adjacent neighborhoods tend to rise and fall together.

Annexation can be a tough sell. That's why I'm especially gratified that Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels seems to be looking at this issue in terms of acknowledging the city's regional responsibilities rather than in terms of narrow financial interests.

This region is growing and expanding, as more people relocate to the Pacific Northwest to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, our economic advantages, our dynamic, diverse communities, and our superior quality of life.

It is to everyone's benefit that no community is left behind.