Yelm explores annexation options, enters negotiations with county

The City of Yelm will soon begin exploring annexation options to correct “irregular boundaries” after the Yelm City Council unanimously authorized city staff to negotiate an interlocal agreement with Thurston County.

The negotiation will occur to complete an annexation of several areas of the urban growth area. According to the Yelm City Council agenda packet from Tuesday, July 8, eight zones will be up for annexation. A total of 312 parcels are included in the proposed annexation, according to the council agenda packet.

Prior to any future annexation, the city will notify all property owners within the proposed annexation by mail and will publish notice of the effective date and boundaries of the adopted annexation ordinance once a week for two consecutives in a newspaper of general publication.

“This would not actually complete the annexation. It would just be us developing an interlocal agreement to set boundaries and some of the responsibilities for transferring stormwater and getting information about road maintenance,” Gary Cooper, Yelm’s planning and building manager, said during the meeting. “Once the interlocal agreement is complete, we will come back with an ordinance at that time adopting the ordinance and completing the annexation.

“This is all correcting irregular boundaries,” he added. “I did forget to mention that we did discuss this at the study session and the public services committee. This particular section of the code applies to areas that are more than 60% surrounded by city boundaries as it is. These all technically qualify in meeting that criteria.”

Councilor Brian Hess had several questions for Cooper and was curious about any potential implications for tax increases if properties were annexed into city limits.

“When they come and get annexed, one of the big fears I always hear from people is they don’t want to be annexed by the city because ‘my taxes are going to go up,’ this, that and the other thing. But, in reality, it shows their taxes were able to go down. Is that correct?” Hess asked. “Services improve because they’re now getting it from the city and not relying on the county.”

Cooper told the councilor that it would depend on the circumstances at each specific property.

“Almost all the time, they do go down,” Cooper noted. “But it depends on how the county’s road tax fluctuates. If they do go up, it would be minimally. But it’s almost a wash as far as property taxes go.”