Editor's note: Many objections have been raised in recent months about the potential annexation by the city of Burien of the North Highline unincorporated area. Recently, the Times/News submitted a series of questions to Burien council members and staff for official facts and perspectives from the city on this divisive issue. The first of three installments presenting their answers appears below.

1. Why is the city of Burien spending considerable time and money to study possible annexation of all or part of the North Highline Unincorporated Area? Aren't there more pressing matters for the city to address?

Burien currently shares police, fire, water and sewer services with our neighbors in North Highline. Several years ago we realized that a Seattle annexation of all or part of North Highline could either reduce our services here in Burien or require Burien residents to pay significantly more in higher taxes and utility rates simply to maintain what we currently have.

Our challenge was to find alternatives that would have the least impact on Burien residents, while preserving public safety and recognizing existing neighborhoods, physical boundaries and logical service areas. If we had not been involved in this issue, we would have been faced with paying $2.2 million more per year for our current police service, and $1.1 million more per year for less fire service than we currently have.

2. How many police officers will it take for Burien to maintain the current level of service (plus cars and other equipment) if Seattle annexes most or all of North Highline?

A total of 10 new patrol officers would be required to provide the necessary staff to respond to current needs.

3. What is the actual cost to Burien of adding these police officers (plus cars, etc.)?

The total annual cost to Burien would be $2.2 million. This is $1.3 million for the 10 officers, plus $900,000 for an increased share of shared costs (such as SWAT, K-9, communications, and facilities charges).

4. Can the loss of police officers (plus cars, etc.) be covered through a cooperative response arrangement with Seattle (similar to what Burien now has with the King County Sheriff's Office)?

Seattle does not currently provide contracts for police services with any surrounding cities and the mayor's office has not expressed an interest in offering one to Burien. Burien currently has a contract with the King County Sheriff - it is not a "cooperative response agreement" - which provides the City all of the resources of a stand-alone police department.

5. Will it save the city money in the future if Burien ends its contract for police services with the sheriff's office and starts its own police department?

Previous studies done by Burien and other contract cities have shown that a stand-alone police department is not as cost-effective as contract services. The City of Burien will be studying this option again in 2007 and evaluate the costs and benefits of contracting versus creating our own police department.

6. How many firefighters and paramedics will it take to maintain the current level of service in North Burien (plus fire engines, Medic I, new fire station) if Seattle annexes most or all of North Highline?

Twenty firefighters will be needed to operate a new Burien/Normandy Park fire station (Fire Distrct 2) in North Burien. This would offset the loss of the two current fire stations in North Highline (Fire District 11), which currently provide services in Burien.

7. What is the actual cost to Burien of adding these firefighters and medics (plus equipment, etc.)?

About $2.4 million; however, the $1.2 million Fire District 2 currently pays to Fire District 11 for service in North Burien would become available, reducing the unfunded amount to about $1.2 million per year.

8. Can the loss of fire/medic personnel (plus equipment, etc.) be covered through a cooperative response arrangement with Seattle (similar to what the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department now has with the North Highline Fire Department)?

Seattle currently has no contracts for serving other jurisdictions. The Mayor of Seattle has offered to review this possibility for Burien, but his staff has stated that this would likely be at a higher cost than the current fire service.