The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council represents about 31,000 White Center and Boulevard Park residents, but only one in a thousand of them bothered to vote in the election of the community's lone elected body.

There will be four new members on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council when it meets next month.

The North Highline Council is the only elected local body that represents White Center, Boulevard Park and the many neighborhoods in the unincorporated area. It is recognized as the official liaison between King County government and the residents of North Highline.

The election was held May 17 at White Center Heights Elementary School and people could vote between 6 and 8 p.m. Victory for most candidates came with a mere handful of votes because the only competition was among candidates for positions at large, which represent North Highline as a whole.

Ray Helms took a District 1 seat by winning a total of six votes from Boulevard Park.

Don Webb snared a seat at the council table by winning just four votes from District 3, which includes Lakewood and part of Salmon Creek.

Two other newcomers to the council - Kathy Snyder and Douglas Harrell - won as write-in candidates for positions at large. They received 32 and 27 votes respectively.

Council President Heidi Johnson was re-elected with four votes. She will again represent District 2, which includes part of White Center Heights, Top Hat, Hazel Valley and Arbor Lake.

Another incumbent, District 4's Ron Johnson, was re-elected with 19 votes. District 4 spans from North Shorewood to downtown White Center.

The only incumbent defeated in the election was Carlos Jimenez, who was the only candidate with opposition. He's been a member at large representing the entire North Highline area but he garnered just 12 votes in last week's vote tally.

Extremely low turnouts are the norm for North Highline Unincorporated Area Council elections. The council has tried for years to increase public participation but without much success.

Three other incumbents decided not to run for re-election. They included Karen Veloria from District 1; Lee Lim from District 3, and Doris Tevaseu, a member at large.

Other members of the council who didn't face re-election this spring and are still serving include Barbara Peters from District 1; Teresa Vert from District 2; Annette King from District 3, and Russ Kay from District 4.

Members at large who also remain on the North Highline Council are Liz Giba, Christine Waldman and Jessica Stoneback.

The newly elected members will join the council at its June 7 meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the North Highline Fire Station at 1243 S.W. 112th St. in White Center.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at 932-0300 or timstc@robinsonnews.com