MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Annexation

Annexing Territory Outside City Limits

January 24, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Annexation

An annexation of territory outside a city's geographic limits can be tricky but is not impossible. Legal Consultant Paul Sullivan covers the basics in this blog post.

2018 General Election Part 3: Non-Revenue Edition

November 13, 2018 by Steve Hawley
Category: Elections , Forms of Government-City , Annexation , Marijuana , Forms of Government-County

In this blog post, we examine non-revenue local ballot measures, including city and county charter changes, a city adopting the council-manager form of government, fire district annexations and mergers, and advisory votes on marijuana and downtown plazas and stadiums.

De-Annexation of Property from a City – How Does That Happen?

September 12, 2014 by Bob Meinig
Category: Annexation

Every once in a while we get asked how property may be “de-annexed” – removed from city boundaries. This rarely occurs, because it's a lot easier in Washington State for property to get annexed to a city than it is for the opposite to occur.

Update (Correction) on New Laws that Affect City/Town Annexations

June 26, 2014 by Bob Meinig
Category: Annexation

In my June 10 blog post, New Laws that Affect City/Town Annexations, I discussed the implications of 2013 legislation, SSB 5444, which amended RCW 84.40.175 to eliminate the requirement that county assessors annually value tax-exempt government-owned properties. I interpreted the practical result of this legislation as being that government-owned property will no longer count towards the 100...

New Laws that Affect City/Town Annexations

June 10, 2014 by Bob Meinig
Category: Annexation

Washington cities and towns should be aware of legislation from 2013 and 2014 affecting notice of annexation and the valuation of publicly owned property.

Changes to Two Annexation Methods Enacted by 2013 Legislature

July 10, 2013 by Bob Meinig
Category: Annexation

The 2013 Legislature has in two separate bills enacted changes to the "unincorporated island" method of annexation, though only as it applies to code cities, and has in one of those bills also enacted changes to the interlocal agreement method of annexation of areas served by a fire district, as it applies to all cities. I'd like to explain what these changes, which are effective on July 28,...

Cities and Towns: Don't Forget to Notify Your County When You Annex Territory

June 19, 2013 by Bob Meinig
Category: Annexation

It's come to my attention that cities and towns sometimes do not notify their county (as well as fire and library districts, where applicable) when they annex territory. Notification to the county treasurer and assessor is required by state law, and lack of notification will prevent some property tax revenues collected from annexed territories from reaching their annexing cities and towns.