Burien releases financial report on next potential annexation: ‘Fiscally neutral’ long term
7:53 PM: The Burien City Council meeting is still under way right now (live at burienmedia.org), and city manager Mike Martin is offering to take questions about the financial report regarding the potential effects of annexation – starting by saying the report is now posted online. We haven’t read it yet – but you can read it, in its entirety, here.
7:58 PM: Now we’re going through it. Here are the topline findings of the report (each of which is followed, in the report, by elaboration):
Finding #1: The current City has a present-day and structural fiscal challenge
Finding #2: The annexation sales tax credit would cover the City’s incremental cost of annexation
Finding #3: The annexation sales tax credit provides the City with greater flexibility to manage expected future fiscal challenges
Finding #4: Over the long-term, annexation would be a fiscally NEUTRAL proposition to the City
Finding #5: Annexation will bring additional capital facility needs and revenue
We’ll add more as we go through the report.
8:12 PM: Also from the report – it envisions Burien needing to add 37 employees by 2013 if annexation happens in 2012; 23 of those would be police.
Discussing the timetable for moving ahead on discussing the issue, Mayor Joan McGilton bristled at suggestions that the council was “ahead of the citizens” in terms of considering the issue. She recapped the fact that Seattle was given the option to pursue, then tossed the ball back in Burien’s court, and what “forced the issue” to a higher profile was the issue of potential White Center/Boulevard Park county library consolidation.
“I don’t think Seattle is going to annex North Highline, so I think at least the pressure is off in that respect,” said Councilmember Jack Block Jr., advocating slowing down somewhat. Ultimately, the council has just decided to have a study session on August 22nd; the financial report also will be discussed, as planned, at the next council meeting on August 15th.
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