Compiled by Ralph Nichols

The Times/News last week contacted candidates for Highline-area elective offices whose names appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

Questions asked in each race and their answers appear below.

All candidates on the ballot are listed. However, due to space constraints only those with opponents were asked to respond to questions.

* incumbent.

Burien City Council

1. What is your top priority for fighting crime?

2. How will you expand economic development city wide?

3. Do you favor or oppose annexation of North Highline? Why?

Position 2

Lucy Krakowiak

Unopposed

Position 4

Stephen Lamphear

1. Police and courts account for about half the city's budget. As a councilman, I voted for additional police officers targeted to high crime situations-including a multifamily complex. Effectively focusing officers reduces crime. Block watch programs also put more "eyes on the street". Police services are expensive, so we need them focused on real issues. I support targeted policing to fight crime where it happens.__

2. Expansion of the city's economic development effort needs to be site appropriate, and protect our neighborhoods. As a councilman, I voted to make the highly airport-affected Northeast area more attractive to light commercial development. Property owners now have a potential market. The city needs to aggressively promote opportunities there.

__3. I favor a thorough community review of potential annexation. It would be irresponsible to do otherwise. There are significant financial impacts on Burien if Seattle takes the annexation, including the loss of police resources and loss of fire services to a large part of north Burien. We need to understand the complex range of impacts and develop options to deal with them.

Gordon Shaw*

1. I supported funding for a gang unit by King County. I also advocate another police officer for Burien 24/7. But it takes six officers to make that happen. We will sit down soon with King County to determine cost factors. In 2008 the council will study the plusses and minuses of Burien having its own police department.

2. I will pursue the Northeast Redevelopment Area to get broader based economic activity so we can get a broader based tax structure so city tax revenues will not be tied too much to swings in the economic cycle. The best thing is to use the Lora Lake triangle to start the economic engine in the whole northeast area.

3. I would like to see [North Highline] become part of Burien if it's financially feasible, and that's a stretch at this point. I'm not willing to have annexation be more than a combined deficit of 3 percent, based on the annual budgets for Burien and North Highline. We need to equalize the revenue the state will contribute to both Burien and Seattle if either annexes the area.

Position 6

Ed Dacy

1. We need to encourage neighborhoods to participate in the Block Watch program. We need to add additional patrol officers to our police force. Though funding of this will be challenging and take some time, I believe overall it will make Burien safer. We need to ask Chief Kimerer what else the Burien Police Department needs that is not being currently provided.

2. First, we need to find out from the business community if the City is doing anything that is harmful to its business environment, especially to the family owned businesses. Secondly, we need to find out what Burien could do to make Burien a more business friendly community, without losing that Burien feel that is so unique. Finally, we need to keep moving ahead in attracting businesses to the Northeast Redevelopment Area.

3. At this point in time I am undecided. The two options currently on the table, the full annexation by Seattle or Burien, both present challenges for Burien. I will make my decision, using all available information, based on what is in the best interest of Burien.

Kathy Keene

1. It's easy to say "hire more police," but first what's the problem we need to address? Police officers are expensive. Are the costs fiscally prudent? I will work closely with Chief Kimerer to assure that we are giving him and his officers the support and tools they need to perform their job.

2. We don't want to expand economic development in the residential areas. We do need to encourage business expansion and diversity in the downtown core. I would like to encourage businesses that create living wage jobs, such as light manufacturing, in the Northeast Redevelopment Area.

3. It is unwise and irresponsible to take a stand on this issue: we don't even know what, if anything, we might annex. We're back where we started a year ago with many of the same concerns; i.e. the potential loss of two fire stations and adequate fire coverage for the north end of Burien, as well as significantly reducing the number of police officers. We need an open and honest community discussion based on facts, not speculation.