MUKILTEO – Voters will have to wait a little longer before they get a chance to weigh in on this city’s latest annexation proposal.
The City Council on Monday opted to delay an advisory vote that would have asked existing residents whether they approve or disapprove of the annexation proposal.
The council took the step it was legally required to take, voting to hold off on a Nov. 3 general election ballot measure that would have asked voters in an unincorporated swath of the county whether they’d like to be part of the city.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court by Snohomish County Fire District 1 challenges the city’s annexation proposal, arguing the city has no specific plan to provide fire and emergency management services to the 11,000 new residents it would add from Picnic Point to Highway 99 if annexation were approved.
The suit also says Snohomish County Boundary Review Board member Lori Kaiser had a conflict of interest because she served on Mayor Joe Marine’s Salary Advisory Committee this year.
The fire district has 60 days to provide the city with legal documents. Once that happens, court dates will be scheduled.
“If the fire district decides to take as long as they’re legally allowed to, the best case would be we’d see court dates sometimes after Oct. 10,” said City Councilwoman Jennifer Gregerson.
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