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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Annexation

An architectural model of a dense area of town

2023 Planning Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 11, 2023  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Annexation ,  Design ,  Housing ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Common themes among these six new planning-related bills include streamlining local project review, decreasing the planning burden on smaller communities, incentivizing annexations, and increasing housing supply throughout the state.

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Empty outdoor public swimming pool waiting for swimmers

Ballot Measure Highlights from the August 2023 Primary Election

August 21, 2023  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Annexation ,  Facilities ,  Elections ,  Special Districts ,  Property Taxes

Primary elections generally see some ballot measures succeed and some fail across the state. This past August, libraries, rec centers, and fire districts fared well, but public hospital districts saw mixed success. And, as always,  levy lid lift measures achieved mixed results.

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Annexing Non-Contiguous Territory Outside City or Town Limits

Annexing Non-Contiguous Territory Outside City or Town Limits

October 23, 2022  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Annexation

The Municipal Purpose Method of annexation is the only method available for a city or town wishing to annex territory non-contiguous to its jurisdictional boundaries. 

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2018 General Election Part 3: Non-Revenue Edition

2018 General Election Part 3: Non-Revenue Edition

November 13, 2018  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Annexation ,  Cannabis Regulation ,  Elections ,  Forms of Government-City ,  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.

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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,...

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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.

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