Burien City Council members have been threatened with recall if they vote to designate any part of North Highline as a potential annexation area.

The recall threat was communicated in an undated notice sent by certified mail recently to the home addresses of all seven council members.

It was paid for by the Burien Residents Against Annexation Political Action Committee. Treasurer James Sharkey's name appears without his signature on the notice.

"If Council pursues a (Potential Annexation Area), it will ignore its own directives to minimize fiscal impact to residents and businesses, and to minimize long-term financial liabilities of annexation," the notice said.

Pursuit by council members "of a (Potential Annexation Area) of all, or any part of, North Highline ... represents a breach of ... fiduciary duty, and constitutes malfeasance.

"...[P]lease be advised: Burien Residents Against Annexation is preparing a recall petition to be filed against any and all Burien Council members who vote to file a (Potential Annexation Area) for North Highline."

Although the committee added it would keep their threat confidential pending council action, Councilman Gordon Shaw read it at the end of the council's meeting last week.

Shaw said he doesn't believe there are "any grounds for a recall vote on this because declaring a Potential Annexation Area is not a substantive decision. It's just a process decision ... a Potential Annexation Area is merely determining that we're going to study an area....

"I'm not a lawyer, but I'm certain that looking further into whether we should annex an area or not is not an appealable action against a public official."

Burien Residents Against Annexation has the same mailing address as Citizens for Honesty in Government, another local political action committee.

In the 2005 city elections, Citizens for Honesty in Government backed three candidates who are now members.

One of those, Councilwoman Rose Clark, said last week that "both the no-on-annexation group and the city council are asking questions and searching for answers. They have found their answer. Council has not.

"Threatening a recall because council continues its investigation is counter productive. It is not an illegal action so it is not recallable."

Noting that "due diligence in pursuit of the most appropriate option" is the responsible course for lawmakers as they consider the annexation issue, Clark said, "the threat makes an open, respectful dialog difficult. I regret that very much."

The notice stated Burien residents, who "were denied an advisory vote on annexation that they were promised by some City Council members," have had their petitions calling for no annexation of the unincorporated area ignored.

But, Shaw countered, "We've made a zealous attempt to involve the community" through town hall meetings and public hearings.

Ralph Nichols can be reached at newsdesk@robinsonnews.com or 444.4872.