Panther Lake annexation: Supporter, critic speak their piece

To join the city of Kent, or not.

That’s the question facing Panther Lake residents as they fill out their Nov. 3 mail-in ballots about whether to annex to Kent, the neighboring city to the south and west along the East Hill.

Marvin Eckfeldt, a retired minister who has lived in Panther Lake for 22 years, favors annexation. Eckfeldt is co-chair with Marci Wainhouse of the Citizens for Annexation to Kent. Eckfeldt and Wainhouse provided the statement for annexation in the King County Voters’ Pamphlet.

“Police service is very spotty,” Eckfeldt said in a phone interview Monday. “Response time is very, very long. The city is going to hire 20 officers to staff the area. The issue of public safety for me is No. 1 and for most people.”

City officials report the Panther Lake area would receive about 1.5 officers to every 1,000 residents, compared to about 1.3 officers per 1,000 residents under the current patrols of the King County Sheriff’s Office. That should mean faster response times by the city compared to the county.

Pat Dillon, a general manager at A-1 Fire Equipment, Inc., in Kent and a five-year resident of Panther Lake, opposes annexation. Dillon wrote the statement against annexation in the Voters’ Pamphlet. He does not expect police service to improve.

“The amount of police officers will not be changed,” Dillon said in a phone interview Tuesday. “All Kent will do is replace the existing officers.”

Dillon added that the sheriff’s office provides good service.

“We’ve had issues in our neighborhood and they have responded very quickly,” Dillon said.

If Panther Lake residents vote to join the city, the annexation would become effective July 1, 2010. The city’s population, now at 88,380, would increase by about 24,000 to 112,380, should the annexation occur. A simple majority vote is required to approve annexation.

The borders of the proposed annexation area generally start north of Southeast 236th Street to Southeast 192nd Street, and run east of 95th Avenue South to Soos Creek Park, just east of 132nd Avenue Southeast. The area covers 5 square miles and 3,300 acres.

Financial studies by Kent city officials project that the owner of a $250,000 home would see taxes decline by $132 per year.

Residents would no longer pay the Fire District No. 37 levy or the King County road tax, which are higher than the city levy that would replace them. Residents would have to pay the city’s 6 percent utility tax on electric, gas and telephone utilities.

That’s not a huge difference for most people, so rather than the cost of property taxes, the debate becomes whether services and laws are better under the city of Kent or as a part of unincorporated King County.

Sewer and water and services will remain the same, even if Panther Lake residents vote to annex to the city. Soos Creek Water and Sewer District serves most of the residents in the unincorporated area.

Fire District 37 would still serve the area under its contract with the city of Kent. The city would take over from the county fire code enforcement, fire investigations, and emergency management planning.

The Kent City Council voted 7-0 last June to adopt a resolution to put the annexation measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, to let Panther Lake residents decide whether to join the city.

About 63 percent of registered voters in Panther Lake favored annexation to Kent, according to a city-produced survey released last year as the Council decided whether to move forward with the annexation vote. The city funded a telephone survey of 400 registered voters in the unincorporated area for the poll.

Eckfeldt is counting on those numbers.

“We are working at it to get the highest percentage of the vote as possible,” said Eckfeldt, whose group has spent less than $1,000 on signs and flyers in support of annexation.

Dillon said he has no organized campaign against annexation.

“I’ve had a lot of requests for signs, but I don’t have any (to give out),” Dillon said.

Dillon said he believes many residents want things to stay the same.

“I think they have an attitude that they want to stay in a more rural area than what Kent offers,” Dillon said.

Eckfeldt said annexation would give residents the ability to elect a mayor and seven City Council members.

“We will have more direct involvement with government leaders,” Eckfeldt said. “And King County wants the unincorporated areas in urban areas to annex to cities as preferred under the state Growth Management Act.”

Dillon disagreed that residents will have better representation by the city.

“We have one representative on the King County Council that represents our area,” Dillon said. “We will not have an individual from our area representing us on the City Council.”

The Kent City Council members are elected to at-large positions, meaning they represent the entire city as opposed to a specific district.

Eckfeldt wants to be a city resident for improved services.

“King County faces a massive budget shortfall and plans to mothball three parks in the annexation area,” he said. “They also will probably cut police and roads. Kent would serve us much better than the county.”

Dillon doubts life would be better as a city of Kent resident.

“I think people want to maintain the status quo,” Dillon said.

In addition to fighting the annexation proposal, Dillon is running against Allan Barrie for a commissioner spot on the Fire District No. 37 board that serves the Panther Lake and Covington area.

For more information go to www.annex2kent.com, www.ci.kent.wa.us/annexation or call the city’s annexation hotline at 253-856-5799.