Editorial: Klahanie annexation area needs education, revote

The Issaquah City Council is in a pickle about what to do with the Klahanie Annexation area. A revote is the only logical choice. Klahanie voters - 67% -- are strongly in support of annexing to Issaquah, a city namesake their address already signifies. But only 47 percent of the voters agreed to assume their share of the city's debt for the senior center, police station, etc.

The City Council could accept Klahanie anyway, but during a candidate forum all the candidates -- representing four of the seven council seats -- said they would not vote to accept Klahanie into the city limits if the voters there did not also agree to take on the city's indebtedness.

There is talk about asking King County to pay a bit more to offset the Klahanie share of the debt, but that sends the wrong message to the residents in the South Cove annexation area who voted to become part of the city and accept the debt.

The difference may have been in the campaign process. There was little opposition to annexation in the South Cove area and strong education about the need to vote yes twice. In Klahanie, there was open opposition and much confusion about whether or not accepting city debt would actually raise or lower taxes.

Further education, open discussion and a revote is the only course of action that makes sense. King County should agree to foot the bill for the election and send staff members to community meetings to clear up the confusion. County Executive Ron Sims should go in person to make it clear that Klahanie cannot stay part of unincorporated King County.

If both annexation questions fail to gain affirmative votes, the Issaquah City council has no choice but to indefinitely delay bringing Klahanie and its 10,000 residents into the fold. The council owes that decision to its current city residents.

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