(Photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/WCN)
Just published at partner site White Center Now: WCN/WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz reports that Mayor McGinn turned up in downtown WC today for a walking tour, even as his office has publicly reiterated he believes it’s too expensive for Seattle to annex WC (and environs) right now. The City Council will decide in the next few months whether to call for an annexation election this fall – next step is a committee meeting on Tuesday.
Really McGinn? That’s what the city needs? When are his 4 years up anyways?
now that business is booming in WC the mayor will flip-flop again
What pros and cons would benefit both if White Center was annexed? That’s what I’d like to know. I used to live in White Center and despite what reputation it has, it is a hard working business community. The funny thing is that it is far from being white but, I had no problems with them since I’m used to living with different ethnic people all my life coming from Hawaii. Seattle has become a cosmo city anyways.
Let’s not waste tax money on a public election about the annexation proposal. After all, both the City and County Councils will simply ignore an election outcome they don’t like.
I hope that we do not annex White Center. Let the place stand on its own two feet. Let them (White Center) incorporate into a town. Seattle has its hands full with its already existing city limits.
Don’t worry he won’t have the police force to handle White Center and that is the way he likes it.
Interesting perspectives. To my mind, White Center, Rat City, already enriches the area with its amazing diversity, it’s edge, it’s ability to create new out of old and all the other things which make it a legend. If it were to be annexed, all that richness would officially be part of Seattle. And, again, to my mind, that would be not only a good thing, it would be the right thing and an outstanding thing. We should look past the nearness of vision to 5, 10 and even more years. Think – in 2016 Link will open to the U-District (well, almost), White Center by then could be a tax-generating revenue center for the city and for locals it would be a jobs-based neighborhood with affordable housing and lots of things to do, see and eat and drink. And, it’s as pedestrian friendly as the Junction or anywhere else in West Seattle.
I have two different sides to this Seattle annexation issue, both as a business owner and as a resident.
As a business owner, I really hope that Seattle keeps its hands off White Center. From a pure taxation stand point, business owners would be looking at much high taxes. B&O, employee tax, square foot tax, signage tax ( all of the awnings or signs that are over sidewalks have to pay a fairly decent sized tax to exist.), and for some a higher sales tax. Also, from first opening a business in King County, and then three more in Seattle, dealing with the building department was a nightmare in Seattle. King county took 1 month, Seattle took 5. We had one building inspector that demanded a check for $300 for an electrical “inspection” even though we had done no electrical work. There is a reason that the people leading the Mayor through the neighborhood only took him to some business. They were the businesses that did not have “NO SEATTLE ANNEXATION” signs in their windows.
As a resident of White Center, I do not want the problems that Seattle seems to create. Seattle is not good with their south end, or minority neighborhoods. Take a look at South Park, South Delridge, South Rainier. Take a tour of the International District after dark. I do not want to see that kind of police “work” happening in White Center. There are people that think that Seattle annexing White Center is a good thing. It is people, mostly non residents, that stand to profit from it. People that own a large chunks of property feel that once the zoning laws are changed they are going to profit when they let developers put in high density apartments where currently only single family homes are allowed. Leaders of some non profit groups think that they can get more money out of Seattle. This does not make it better for the community as a whole. The White Center business district is very fragile right now, and letting Seattle in to pillage it for tax money is going to destroy it.
Also, and I know this is a cheap shot, but the Seattle police have a horrible reputation right now with minorities. Many of the Sheriffs that work in this area, live in this area. I can not pull out of my memory the last time a KC Sheriff threatened to “beat the Mexican piss” out of some one, or shot them for being a Native wood carver.
My big question is “Does White Center want to be annexed?” and if not, do they get any say in the matter.
Nighthawk – Because of an agreement between Seattle and Burien a couple years ago – which the Seattle City Council chose not to ratify, but Burien is still honoring – Seattle has “dibs” until the end of this year. (The agreement was made as Burien was annexing the southern part of the unincorporated area.) If the city does decide to go ahead – that decision will be made this spring – it’ll go to a vote, and voters in the potential annexation area will vote. If they say no, Burien would be able to pursue the annexation. If they didn’t, or if voters said no to that, then things get murky, because King County has made it clear it needs to get out of the business of providing “urban” services – the only unincorporated areas it wants to be dealing with are the rural ones that have no prospect of becoming part of a city/town – TR
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P.S. So the ultimate point here is that WC (and other neighboring unincorporated areas like Top Hat) do not have a longterm option to keep the status quo. The three options are annexation by Seattle, annexation by Burien, or become a brand-new city on their own. The latter is generally considered wildly unlikely, so the realistic question is and has been for a while: Seattle or Burien?
Annexing this area would cost Seattle. Though there is a business district, the vast majority of what would be annexed is residential, and, like it or not, residential areas are not a big tax base. So, adding this area to the city would actually cost the city and most likely city-wide services would be cut.
“shot them for being a Native wood carver.”-Full Tilt
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Full Tilt, that is an outrageous, irresponsible and inflammatory racist statement.
This would cost way to much money, its okay though cause whatever he says today at will change by tonight and than again by tomorrow.
“Many of the Sheriffs that work in this area, live in this area.”
No they don’t, I can’t think of more than a few that regularly patrol WC that live in the precinct area, let alone in WC proper.
As to the topic at hand, there isn’t much benefit to the citizens of Seattle, esp. those of us in WS from WC being annexed to the city.
It is so obvious that those that gave the unannounced tour are the ones who will benefit.
@Full Tilt: thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope things work out for White Center and its business owners.
re: # of KSCO deputies assigned to unincorporated area, after recent budget cuts, is five. Total. For the entire area. Further, minus the full-time KCSO Storefront presence.
If “more than a few…regularly patrol WC that live in the precinct area, let alone in WC proper…” means literally a “few”, which is three, and “more than”, you are talking about over half or three-quarters of the total assigned deputies for the unincorporated area to be annexed.
I know most folks will be appalled at the low numbers of deputies. They should be. The county budget cuts have been absolutely brutal. And I think it is likely will continue to go deeper all around, not just the KCSO budget.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this area. For example, the North Highline Fire District: when a commercial property catches on fire in this area, most of the time a ladder is dispatched as a matter of routine, from one of the partnering fire departments that are regularly used because the area simply can’t be covered by the NHFD. On the other hand, for certain sections of this entire area, when a residential property has a fire call, ladders are not necessarily routinely called for. There is an heirarchy of call-out which allows the FD to respond to house fires without a ladder. Unimaginable within our city limits.
The big numbers quoted on the city’s Memorandum which TR has linked to above, are related to the SFD, SPD and SDOT. Big, BIG expenses.
The roads in the area have had maintenance deferred for years and on the scale used to indicate condition, the unincorporated area is in far worse condition that Seattle roads, if one can fathom that. There are fewer total road miles in the “area” than in Seattle, but in half as good condition.
This isn’t opinion, just observations based on fact.
The best thing Seattle voters can do is not re-elect McGinn if he plans to run for another round. Self righteous, could give a damn less about any citizen or business in Seattle. I feel horrible for White Center if he actually wants to annex them. Hope White Center likes bicycle lanes…
I am not a WC resident, but I *DO* live at the very south end of the West Seattle peninsula and frequent White Center businesses weekly, if not daily. It is FAR more convenient for me than driving to the Alaska Junction or to Admiral. Besides, I love the diversity in WC; the ethnic foods and markets, the watering holes (err, I mean bars). The “flavor” of the people and businesses there is just awesome IMO.
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As TR (@WSB) pointed out, White Center is rather at an impasse. They will HAVE to be annexed either way, or loose their police and other King County services altogether. The likelyhood of them becoming their own city in this economy is pretty much nil. They’d be hard pressed to form a city government AND come up w/ all the necessary city services (gas, electric, fire, police, parks & rec, street/road maintenance, libraries, schools, business and residential taxation, etc.) all on their own in less than a year.
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So the question is, which option is the lesser of two evils? Burien is stretched thin financially, and Seattle isn’t faring any better.
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I really hope that whatever DOES happen, it will be in the best interest of White Center; it’s residents and especially (IMO) its businesses. Without a healthy business sector, the people ain’t gonna want to live, play and work there anyway.
Thanks WSB and Cheryl and for everyone’s opinions here. It is a matter of time before WC has to go somewhere. And as I understand it, WC residents hold the key on this, as they will vote to be taken by somewhere eventually.
Full Tilt, have you talked to anyone at Burien to compare the good info you posted to Burien’s biz tax rates? I would be so curious to know how they stack up in your opinion!
One thing worth noting for those very interested in this … Burien’s city manager Mike Martin (they have a “city manager” form of government rather than “strong mayor” like Seattle – Burien of course has a mayor but it’s not a fulltime job) always attends the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meetings and presents a briefing on some of what Burien’s been doing in the newly annexed area, among other things. Next NHUAC meeting (elected community council representing WC and other parts of remaining unincorp area; we often cover them for our WC site White Center Now, so we’re familiar with them) is this Thursday, 7 pm, at the North Highline fire station in WC …
http://www.northhighlineuac.org
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