Written by Fairwood residents appear to be rejecting annexation to Renton by about the same margin (approximately 45% to 55%) that they last rejected incorporation.
It looks like they will remain in King County for a while.
Below is the prediction I made twenty months ago in this journal entry based on a survey conducted by Renton and King County at that time:
Based on these results, a likely sequence of events would be that the Fairwood Incorporation initiative would come up for a vote first, and then fail. Next, a vote to annex to Renton would potentially come up, and probably fail (unless over half of those who wanted to form Fairwood switched over to support annexing to Renton, which does not seem likely to me.) In the end, Fairwood would end up remaining unincorporated, an idea favored by just 31 percent of the voters in the area.
Guess I called it.
Here are the results so far. Here are the results from last year’s incorporation election.
Fairwood annexation
Please keep us updated because I can’t find the results on the state page under King County. I am NOT in favor of annexation. This is an important issue to me. Thanks.
now we just need the city to hold a vote on if people want the illegal red light cams through out the city
I thought it would pass, but the anti annexation folks were very effective in portraying Renton’s elected officials as being very similar to the Three Stooges. It was inaccurate and unfair. Renton’s elected officials are more like the Marx Brothers:)
While I do support the annexation, I didn’t think it would pass because there is 3 district groups within Fairwood and no one group has a majority. Pro-annexation, Pro-city of Fairwood and the (confused) pro-remain within Unincorporated KC. I do understand the City of Renton’s view point and that is to annex the whole area at once this would bring in State money because of the size of annexation. Next will come small annexations which will cost the City more and not bring the state money. West hill maybe a different vote, because I am not aware of a Pro-city of Skyway group.
There’s no pro City of Skyway group. There’s a small minority who’d like to be annexed by the City of Seattle ( which isn’t being reciprocated: Seattle doesn’t want Skyway), and then large numbers who’d like to be annexed by Renton or remain unincorporated. If the vote were held today, I think west Hill residents would choose to be annexed to Renton, but it would be close, and a lot can happen before the February 2012 vote.
I’m glad.
The Fairwood annexation would have baked in about 2 million in deficit spending into Renton’s budget after the sales tax revenue runs out.
Skyway will cost Renton 4 million (at least) after a few years.
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Frankly, the city has been unable to clean up the Highlands and the Benson hill annexation has cost us the quick police response we use to enjoy.
I know how I’d fix it, but I’m afraid it would the cozy relationship with the government-worker unions would have to end – we pay way too much in salary and benefits to some individuals.
Just put the two options to a vote together
I don’t understand why these were done as separate votes, instead of making people vote for one or the other. IMHO, remaining unincorporated King County is a really horrible option that is happening by default.
I voted for incorporating as the City of Fairwood both times, but I did sadly switch to voting to annex to Renton simply because I thought it beat the alternative. I was under the impression that remaining unincorporated was not an option after 2011, and based on my personal experiences with the level of services provided, I believe it.
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
I don’t know what mechanism that causes it, but in referendums/annexations/levys elections you basically have to have a single choice of “doing something” and “not doing something”
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
Speaking of Highland, it’s not entirely the city’s fault. I don’t believe city have control to get rid of the housing project ran by the Renton Housing Authority.
-H
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
The RHA sucks – they’re the reason for all the Section 8 housing crime and slums here in Renton.
The City could try to get them to clean up their mess by enforcing code compliance issues and using the nuisance property laws on the books.
For example the RHA housing block on the highlands violates the fence ordinance (6 foot fence) and the litter ordinance (no junk in yards)
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We had a RHA/slumlord house two doors down and it made my families lives hell for about a year.
Of course there’s no RHA homes on Renton Hill or in the expensive parts of Kennydale. Hmmm..
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
How do we find out if tenants in a private rental are using section 8 vouchers? The reason I ask is that a house on our block has recently been the subject of a lot of police activity (gunshots, robbery suspects, roadblocks, K9s, officers with machine guns, arrests, etc.) The landlord isn’t doing anything about it, but section 8 rules prohibit criminal activity. If it’s a section 8 rental, at least we’d have some avenue to pursue…
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
First thing to do is notify RHA that they *may* have a property that’s going “bad” – depending on who you get, they may help. Most likely though you’ll get nowhere.
Some tricks:
Document with photographic evidence every time one of their children plays in the street and bikes without a helmet. Send by certified mail the evidence to the appropriate child welfare agency. In the cover letter be sure to say that “the life of the child is in danger.”
Keep track of school days and notify the Renton School District truancy officer if the child is obviously not sick.
Call 911 for everything. Everything.
Get a lead test kit and determine that the house needs to have it’s lead paint encapsulated. Send that info to the RHA.
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I wish I could tell you what I did to get rid of our Section 8 housing problem, but it may have been illegal. Sigh.
Re: Just put the two options to a vote together
Thanks Ben! Unfortunately, the kids are not young. Don’t know if that would get them evicted. And the police definitely know. They’re asking for our help actually. I’m sure you know who the landlord is, too. 🙂 I will contact the rha. Why don’t they have email contact info on their website. Too many complaints that way?
This is interesting:
http://www.pdc.wa.gov/MvcQuerySystem/CommitteeData/contributions?param=Q0hPT1IgIDA1OA%3D%3D%3D%3D&year=2010&type=single
Basically, the City of Renton employee unions tried to buy the Fairwood election with huge contributions. Over $11,000 in contribution from our firefighters, police and burocrats.
They were hoping to get more jobs, even though the Fairwood annexation would have eventually cost Renton citizens two million is either more taxes or decreased services.
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These Union groups were the same ones who sold Renton libraries out to KCLS in order to free up $1.8 million for their employees and to make Renton more attractive to Fairwood.
Nice work Unions: you sell our Renton for jobs and you don’t even get that. HA HA.
Yeah that is interesting that there was money from the Fire and Police Unions. When the City already provides Fire personnel to Dist 40 and more then one of the Renton police force and fire fighters live in Fairwood.
I wasn’t aware of finical aid from union services in Renton on the library vote (anything is possible), I was under the understanding that decision was made by the majority of voters.
Dave, the pro-KCLS side intentionally lied to all the voters in order to get its way.
That wasn’t a fair campaign – even the city lied to the voters.