McGinn seeks White Center vote on joining Seattle

Mayor Mike McGinn says he wants to ask White Center voters this November whether they want to be annexed into Seattle.

He's fulfilling a campaign promise to let residents of the area southwest of the city limits decide whether they want to become part of the city. Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin said he expects the council to agree to put the measure on the fall ballot.

About 20,000 people live in the area proposed for annexation into Seattle.

The council rejected an agreement last year to annex the area because it wasn't clear how the city would pay to provide services to the area. The Legislature passed a law last year that gives Seattle a portion of the state sales taxes collected in the area, funds that are supposed to help the city afford services there.

With passage of that bill, Conlin said, "my belief is that the council will be generally supportive."

As first reported in West Seattle Blog, the council will discuss the proposal at a 9:30 a.m. briefing Monday at City Hall.

Calls to McGinn's office for comment were not returned Wednesday.

King County has urged the neighboring cities of Burien and Seattle to annex the mostly residential area. The county spends millions more each year to provide law enforcement and other services to the area than it generates in taxes.

Last year, Seattle and Burien reached an agreement to split the North Highline area. Voters approved an annexation of a portion of the area into Burien in August.

Conlin said the area under consideration for annexation this year does not include the South Park Bridge, a crumbling, King County-owned bridge that needs millions of dollars in repairs.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com