Thank you for this opportunity to respond to the letters from Mark Ufkes and James Sharkey of Burien Residents Against Annexation (Feb. 7 Highline Times) re legislation that would assist Burien on the annexation controversy.

The legislation proposed by the 34th District legislators would grant Seattle $7 million annually for 10 years if Seattle annexes North Highline. Last year a bill was passed providing Burien $1.2 million annually for 10 years.

Mr. Ufkes and representatives of the no-annexation group recently testified in the Legislature, supporting Seattle's need to receive greater financial support from the State for annexation of North Highline.

Their shortsighted plea would place Burien citizens in jeopardy of a $2 million deficit if Seattle annexes. Is this their evidence of concern for their fellow Burien residents?

Burien Mayor Joan McGilton testified that what is needed is a level playing field. To be equitable, both cities should receive the same benefits. To their credit, the 34 District legislators have acknowledged this inequity of the proposed bill and are looking toward an equitable solution.

To date, neither the State nor King County have offered Burien financial assistance to make up the deficits incurred by Burien if Seattle annexes North Highline.

The Burien City Council and Fire District 2 [Burien/Normandy Park] would need to consider new taxes to offset this loss. That is why it is vital that the Burien City Council continue the [annexation] studies underway. They will provide a clearer picture of the true costs, giving the council understanding of what needs done to pay those costs based on annexation and no annexation.

It is important to note that the Burien council has directed that data supplied by Burien Citizens Against Annexation be analyzed as part of the study. There will be costs to Burien with or without annexation. We need to know exactly what those costs will be to determine how to cover them.

No one knows what the annexation decision will be. The Council's willingness to persevere through "in your face" confrontations to explore all the implications of this hot-button issue should be applauded.

JoAn Cox

Burien