Happy for Patterson endorsement

Published 5:09 pm Tuesday, October 27, 2009

We are pleased to announce that Councilperson Julia Patterson has this week endorsed the annexation of the Panther Lake area to the City of Kent.

Patterson, whose District 5 includes the Panther Lake area, supports the state Growth Management Act which states that unincorporated county areas adjacent to urban centers are best served by those urban centers.

In support of such annexations the state has committed a 0.2 percent sales and use tax rebate for 10 years for cities that receive such annexations.

For Kent that is estimated to be $4.872 million per year for 10 years. This would fund the additional estimated 72 FTEs planned in the city to serve the Panther Lake area.

I understand that the police, land-use and support staff will be first hired. It feels good that with our property taxes and the help from the state the Panther Lake area will “paying our own way” as potential new residents of the City of Kent and not draining existing Kent resources.

Marvin Eckfeldt, co-chair

Citizens for Annexation to Kent

Panther Lake