Even though the doubling of the population of Burien will cause a rather large knot of debt, the Burien City Council last week decided to go slow, but to play the game.

Instead of simply saying "no thanks" to adding another 31,000 people in the North Highline unincorporated area to its 32,000 population it says it wants to keep looking at the move. The council (see story, Page One) wants an "interlocal agreement" to set groundwork for "how to work collaboratively in reaching decisions on future government of the North Highline area, "writes reporter Carrie Wood.

"To me it seems like a no-brainer that we ought to get everybody together and try to figure this thing out," Burien Councilman Gordon Shaw said.

The "interlocal agreement" would let representatives of Seattle, Burien and, apparently, the members of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council to sit down and hash our who gets what.

The facts show that it will cost the public money no matter who takes what in this carving of the North Highline area.

King County wants out and state law backs their moves. But North Highline cannot be its own city because it would be $5 million short (at least) to balancing their budget. No matter whether Seattle or Burien gets the area, it would cost taxpayers of one or the other city.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council decided that if the area could not be a city unto itself, it preferred to be part of Burien. That way they could keep their much prized North Highline Fire Department and residents would have more clout in a city the same population as it is.

But Burien took a look at the numbers at the end of last year, gulped, then took a time-out to think the matter over. Now it seems to be taking the "go slow" approach.

No matter the cost, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels rode into White Center last week and declared his unabashed interest is annexing the entire region to the city.

"I don't think you could find a neighborhood in Seattle that isn't subsidized," he said. He agreed North Highline folks would have more clout in Burien but said Seattle could provide higher levels of service.

One other possibility remains and that is chop up North Highline into parts and give some to each city. While that has been mentioned before, there seems little interest in that approach.

Burien has its hands full with some internal political squabbling and the huge Town Center development in its very heart.

We still wonder at all the thousands of North Highline residents of color who have not been asked their opinion. The North Highline Council tried hard to bring more of the non-English speaking residents into the process, but it appears it was not sufficient.

In the end, Seattle seems destined to take the entire area and, as residents of that city, we suggest that that may be the best thing for North Highline people.