FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2009

Contact:     Brad Meacham
Chair, Municipal League
(425) 383-7247

Municipal League Issues Positions on Six Ballot Measures

(SEATTLE) The Municipal League of King County today made recommendations on six measures before voters in the November 3 general election. 

The Municipal League:

OPPOSES Initiative 1033, Limiting Growth of State, County and City Revenues - Washington State is experiencing a severe recession. State and local governments have instituted drastic budget cuts affecting education, health care, human services, parks, corrections and many other programs that citizens rely on, especially during hard times. Now is the worst possible time to further hamper government’s flexibility to meet public needs and to help with economic recovery. Previous initiatives have already slowed government spending significantly and elected officials are already very cautious about authorizing tax increases to meet service needs. While it may be a good idea to encourage government to prioritize services and live within its means, this initiative is filled with complex provisions that will make government’s ability to govern much harder and further exacerbate the structural problems of our system of financing public services.

SUPPORTS the King County Open Space Charter Amendment No. 4, Adding New Section 897 – High Conservation Value Properties - Population and development pressures in the coming decades will continue to create pressure for elected officials to allow changes in use of protected lands. This amendment would create procedural steps and public scrutiny for any such changes in the future, ensuring public debate and public involvement in major decisions regarding our public lands, rather than allowing private lawsuits and the courts to decide how open-space uses might be changed.

SUPPORTS the City of Seattle Proposition No. 1, Low-Income Housing Levy – The League believes that the need for low income housing assistance in Seattle, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, is more acute than ever, the levy’s size and taxpayer impact is reasonable, previous levy administration and programs have been efficient and effective, and that this ballot measure is therefore worthy of support.

OPPOSES the incorporation of a new City of Fairwood - It has long been costly and inefficient for King County to continue to serve unincorporated areas such as Fairwood and residents increasingly expect urban levels of service.  The Municipal League supports the goals of the Growth Management Act and believes that completing the annexation and incorporation of the remaining unincorporated areas is appropriate.  However, the League found that while the proposed new city might be financially viable, it would be so only in comparison to the limited current services it receives as an unincorporated area and would likely need to forgo provision of parks and recreation and human services that are routinely expected by residents of similar areas.  Annexation to Renton is preferable for several reasons: the larger city’s more diversified tax base can accommodate future service and infrastructure expenses more reliably and residents of Fairwood would receive services directly from the City of Renton without the expense of a new layer of administration and the complexity of contracting.

SUPPORTS the annexation of Panther Lake to the City of Kent - The League supports the goals of the Growth Management Act and believes that completing the annexation and incorporation of the remaining unincorporated areas is appropriate.  Not all citizens are happy with this transition.  Some residents of the annexation area prefer the old lifestyle that involved less government and less regulation.  Nevertheless, the encroaching urban growth impacts and service needs require management by municipal government.  This annexation is the right thing to do, for the city, for the annexing area, and for the entire region.

SUPPORTS the annexation of Finn Hill, Kingsgate and North Juanita to the City of Kirkland - The Municipal League supports the goals of the Growth Management Act and believes that completing the annexation and incorporation of the remaining unincorporated areas is appropriate.  This and similar largely residential areas do not generate sufficient tax revenues to pay for needed services and have posed a dilemma for the County and cities.  The current economic downturn and fiscal crisis facing local government have made the timing of this annexation proposal especially awkward as Kirkland is experiencing difficulties meeting the service needs of the existing city.  Nevertheless, this annexation is the right thing to do, for the city, for the annexing area, and for the entire region.

Volunteer members of the Municipal League’s Ballot Issues Committee spent over 120 hours researching, reviewing, considering information and preparing reports regarding these ballot issues.  The committee was led by co-chairs Kathy Elias and Vickie Wallen.  Each recommendation was carefully reviewed by the Municipal League’s trustees.  

Full reports on the findings for each of these ballot measures can be found here.

The Municipal League of King County is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that has worked to ensure good government that is open, effective and accountable since 1910. The Municipal League is dedicated to improving the caliber of public officials and the quality of public decisions. For more information, contact the Municipal League at (206) 622-8333 or visit www.munileague.org.


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