Residents and business owners in the North Highline area have a complicated decision to make regarding annexation or incorporation.

One thing is certain, however, annexation into the City of Seattle will lead to a dramatic increase in the sewer bill for most residents of the North Highline area.

This has not been clearly stated in recent articles in the Highline Times.

Most property owners will be paying $19.50/month for sewer service in 2006. Based on average water consumption for the area, the City of Seattle will charge $39.48/month for the same service. This represents an increase of $239.76/year.

The impact on a business which has high water consumption or a large family which uses more water than average will be even more dramatic. Even for that smaller number of residents who serve into the King County Metro sewer system, and currently pay a monthly bill of $32.60, annexation into the City of Seattle will cost them at least an additional $82.56 per year.

While the cost of sewer service is only one of many factors to consider in making a decision about annexation or incorporation, it is a significant factor and should be evaluated using accurate information.

We expect additional information to be available in the next few months regarding sewer rates and the quality of service in the North Highline area.

We will share this information with residents of North Highline once it is available. Meanwhile, they can contact either the Val Vue Sewer District (206-242-3236) or the Southwest Suburban Sewer District (206-244-9575) with questions or concerns about the potential impact of annexation.

Rick Forschler

Commissioner

Val Vue Sewer District

Scott Hilsen

Commissioner

SW Suburban Sewer District