by Ralph Nichols

As Gordon Shaw departs from the Burien City Council today (Monday, Jan. 9), he looks back with conviction at his “major accomplishment” as a councilman – and warns of the costs of not annexing unincorporated North Highline.

“Helping get Mike Martin hired as city manager [in 2007] is the best thing I did,” Shaw told The B-Town Blog. “Overall, Mike is bringing forward-looking ideas to council members for their consideration and is putting Burien on sounder footing than it was before.”

Martin replaced former City Manager Gary Long and, said Shaw, “if I had the chance to do it over, I’d hire him again. The city council and city manager have a better working relationship today, and that’s good for Burien.”

Another key effort by Shaw during his eight years on the city council, which remains a work in progress, is the inclusion of Burien businesses in the Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA) under the flight path north of Sea-Tac International Airport.

This land, owned by the Port of Seattle, is in Burien. Shaw has been quietly working for development of an auto center there just off State Route 518. This would give car dealers on First Avenue South a lot more space that could become a sales magnet for the region.

Shaw called locating an auto center and other Burien businesses in NERA, where the Port will develop air cargo support services, “a vital link for economic development in Burien.

“I’m encouraged with the progress of discussions and believe the city and the Port will reach a mutually beneficial development agreement.”

Gordon Shaw getting dunked during a recent fundraiser.

Turning his attention to the major decision facing the city council as a new year begins – annexation – Shaw noted that “opponents of making the White Center area part of Burien are concerned about the cost.”

One of those opponents, Bob Edgar, defeated him in his bid for election to a third term on the city council last November.

“In the long run, and it won’t take that long,” Shaw said, “the costs to our city will be a lot more if we fail to annex North Highline – especially if Seattle ends up annexing the area – because of higher crime just north of Roxbury.”

Currently, criminal activity in this area of south Seattle, a consequence of limited police resources there due to budget constraints, spills over into White Center where it is largely contained by King County Sheriff’s deputies, he continued.

“But if Seattle ends up annexing the area, that crime will take root in White Center and spill into the existing North Burien, and that will cost Burien taxpayers a lot more as they pay more for increased police services without the additional North Highline tax base,” Shaw added.

“In my estimation, this would make it necessary for Burien to hire four or five additional police officers, which would cost the city about $600,000 to $750,000 including their cars and other equipment.”

Shaw agrees that the costs of annexation present a major challenge for Burien – especially with the threatened elimination of the state’s annexation sales tax credit – and said he still opposes annexation without state help.

“The city council entered into this annexation process with the understanding that state help was there, and without that assistance it just doesn’t make sense.”

He hopes, however, that the city will continue with the annexation process and then, if necessary, put the final step on hold while new funding sources are found to pay for bringing the area into Burien without increasing the tax burden on current residents.

Another key aspect of annexation that gets lost in the debate, Shaw added, is the available land in North Highline that would give Burien needed room for the development of additional commercial activity including light industry.

“These vacant areas are critical for the economic future of Burien. And this includes a lot more than just White Center. The South Park area with its developed infrastructure is a prime location for light industry,” he said. “But if we lose them now, they’re gone forever.”

Shaw, a lifelong Burien resident and businessman, joined the city council in January 2004 and served two terms. Before that, he was a long-time member of the city’s planning commission.

Are there two Buriens?

The simple answer is Yes and No. It really depends on the context of how you ask the question. There is certainly a perception of “East” versus “West” of Ambaum Boulevard in Burien, but I won’t be looking at that directly. I wanted to look at this question in regards to the most recent election (November 8th, 2011).

First some asterisks of note. I didn’t split the 34th precincts between east and west of Ambaum. So, in relation to East versus West in the 34th pre-annexation scenario, that hasn’t been analyzed. I also did not include any under-votes (blank), over-votes, or write-in candidates. The vote count per race was not uniform so I totaled the three races and averaged out the vote count.

In the following scenarios, there were no changes in who won the overall election. In this regard, there is only one Burien.

The scenarios are: Voting in the 11th. Voting in the 33rd. Voting in the 34th. North Burien voting. 34th pre-annexation voting. Burien voting removing Pre-annexation 34th. Burien voting removing North Burien.

• There are 22,405 registered voters in Burien. Of those, 11,283 or 50.36% voted.
• There are 7,545 registered voters in the 11th. Of those, 2,703 or 38.82% votes were counted.
• There are 3,285 registered voters in the 33rd. Of those, 1,243 or 37.83% votes were counted.
• There are 11,575 registered voters in the 34th. Of those, 5,589 or 48.28% votes were counted.
• There are about 7,108 North Burien registered voters. Of those, about 2,578 or 36.26% votes were counted.
• There are about 9,353 34th pre-annexation voters. Of those, 4,610 or 49.28% votes were counted.
• There are about 13,052 Burien voters, removing pre-annexation 34th. Of those, about 4,925 or 37.73% votes were counted.
• There are about 15,297 Burien voters, removing North Burien. Of those, about 6,957 or 45.47% votes were counted.

Where one might argue that there is a divided Burien is in how many, in each scenario, vote. First, the 34th district represents a little more than half of Burien’s registered voters. Adding to the argument is that about half of these registered voters voted. Combining the 11th and 33rd legislative districts yields just under half of Burien’s registered voters. Yet, only about one third voted. The theoretical voting power, in a West Versus East of an Ambaum Boulevard scenario, is about equal in Burien. In practice there is a self-imposed difference.

Another view where you might see a divided Burien would be in the race for Position 6 in relation to the 34th pre-annexation vote. All of the other scenarios closely matched the general election numbers. In this scenario, however, Robison defeated Wagner by just 23 votes (2,294 to 2,271 out of 9,353 voters). The rest of Burien elected Robison over Wagner at much higher rates (2819 to 2089 out of 13,052 voters).

Also, the “rest” of Burien (about 60% of registered voters) out-voted the pre-annexation 34th by just 343 total votes.

Some perceive the “West of Ambaum” crowd as noisy, but they also vote. They are about 40% of the city and it is their voice that is heard since they take the time to vote.

Where any politician can get in trouble is representing the interests of the voter, over the interests of the citizens. This slippery slope runs both ways when a politician represents the interests of the citizen over the interests of the voter.

I did this analysis to try and unite our community, and to call attention to our self-imposed inequities in how we vote. I would love it if every citizen voted. It’d be nice to have 100% or near 100% voter turnout. Our representative government works best when everyone participates.

Thank you,
Joey Martinez

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The biggest surprise of course is that Edgar, who attempted to withdraw from the race, beat incumbent Shaw by over 21%.

Here are Thursday’s totals:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 8346 / 22405 37.25%

Council Position No. 2

• Lucy Krakowiak 4660 64.12%
• Greg Duff 2585 35.57%
• Write-in 23 0.32%

Council Position No. 4

• Bob Edgar 4333 60.39%
• Gordon M. Shaw 2815 39.23%
• Write-in 27 0.38%

Council Position No. 6 short and full term

• Debi Wagner 3278 45.79%
• Jerry Robison 3859 53.90%
• Write-in 22 0.31%

NECK AND NECK IN NORMANDY PARK
Incumbent Shawn McEvoy has extending his lead over challenger Todd McKittrick to 58 votes, while Stacia Jenkins holds on to her lead over Charlie Harris by 19:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 2297 / 4681 49.07%

Council Position No. 3

• Todd McKittrick 1010 48.37%
• Shawn McEvoy 1068 51.15%
• Write-in 10 0.48%

Council Position No. 5 short and full term

• Charlie Harris 1008 49.39%
• Stacia Jenkins 1027 50.32%
• Write-in 6 0.29%

HORSE RACE IN DES MOINES
As if to prove the old adage ‘never count your chickens before they’re hatched,’ Thursday’s returns shows that Mayor Bob Sheckler, who was down by 31 votes on Wednesday, is now in the lead over challenger Rebecca King by 17 votes.

Jeanette Burrage and Dan Caldwell are clear winners, and Proposition No. 1 is toast:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 5971 / 14805 40.33%

Council Position No. 2

• Jeanette Burrage 3175 61.94%
• Carri Litowitz 1918 37.42%
• Write-in 33 0.64%

Council Position No. 4

• Dan Caldwell 2776 55.80%
• Dave Markwell 2175 43.72%
• Write-in 24 0.48%

Council Position No. 6

• Rebecca King 2546 49.65%
• Bob Sheckler 2563 49.98%
• Write-in 19 0.37%

Proposition No. 1 Utility Occupation Tax for Des Moines Beach Park and Streets

• APPROVED 2117 37.28%
• REJECTED 3562 62.72%

Here are today’s returns:

CITY OF BURIEN

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 6975 / 22405 31.13%

Council Position No. 2

• Lucy Krakowiak 3950 64.50%
• Greg Duff 2153 35.16%
• Write-in 21 0.34%

Council Position No. 4

• Bob Edgar 3647 60.24%
• Gordon M. Shaw 2381 39.33%
• Write-in 26 0.43%

Council Position No. 6 short and full term

• Debi Wagner 2761 45.82%
• Jerry Robison 3245 53.85%
• Write-in 20 0.33%

CITY OF NORMANDY PARK

In Normandy Park’s contested council races, incumbent Shawn McEvoy’s lead over challenger Todd McKittrick is now 15 votes (up from 8), and Stacia Jenkins now leads Charlie Harris by 3 votes (Tuesday night Harris led by 6).

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 1850 / 4681 39.52%

Council Position No. 3

• Todd McKittrick 836 49.32%
• Shawn McEvoy 851 50.21%
• Write-in 8 0.47%

Council Position No. 5 short and full term

• Charlie Harris 828 49.79%
• Stacia Jenkins 831 49.97%
• Write-in 4 0.24%

CITY OF DES MOINES

In Des Moines, challenger Rebecca King has extended her lead over Mayor Bob Sheckler to 31 votes, while Jeanette Burrage and Dan Caldwell are looking like winners, and Proposition No. 1, a proposed tax for Des Moines Beach Park and Streets, is being soundly rejected:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 5071 / 14805 34.25%

Council Position No. 2

• Jeanette Burrage 2693 61.47%
• Carri Litowitz 1657 37.82%
• Write-in 31 0.71%

Council Position No. 4

• Dan Caldwell 2373 55.89%
• Dave Markwell 1850 43.57%
• Write-in 23 0.54%

Council Position No. 6

• Rebecca King 2198 50.15%
• Bob Sheckler 2167 49.44%
• Write-in 18 0.41%

Proposition No. 1 Utility Occupation Tax for Des Moines Beach Park and Streets

• APPROVED 1789 37.05%
• REJECTED 3039 62.95%

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401

In the contested Highline School Board Director race, Tyrone Curry, Sr. is still leading Sili Savusa by over 10%:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 18196 / 56914 31.97%

Director District No. 1

• Tyrone Curry, Sr. 7883 54.77%
• Sili Savusa 6402 44.48%
• Write-in 107 0.74%

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT NO. 8

In the King County Council race, incumbent Joe McDermott has soundly defeated Diana Toledo:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 32836 / 110132 29.82%

Metropolitan King County Council District No. 8

• Joe McDermott 19428 67.15%
• Diana Toledo 9398 32.48%
• Write-in 106 0.37%

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN SEWER DISTRICT

In the race for the Southwest Suburban Sewer District, incumbent Scott Hilsen is still beating Dan Johnson.

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 10200 / 31568 32.31%

Commissioner Position No. 1

• Dan Johnson 2986 37.25%
• Scott Hilsen 4990 62.24%
• Write-in 41 0.51%

The early returns of Tuesday’s General Election results are in, with one-time ‘non-candidate’ Bob Edgar leading incumbent Gordon Shaw by nearly +20%, Lucy Krakowiak beating Greg Duff by over +28% and Jerry Robison edging Debi Wagner by just 8.45%.

Of course, these are all early returns, with 6,022 ballots of 22,405 counted – nearly 27% of all votes counted.

Results will be updated daily, and we’ll monitor them for any changes.

Final results will be posted Nov. 30th.

Here are the initial returns:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 6022 / 22405 26.88%

Council Position No. 2:

• Lucy Krakowiak 3393 64.03%
• Greg Duff 1886 35.59%
• Write-in 20 0.38%

Council Position No. 4:

• Bob Edgar 3123 59.74%
• Gordon M. Shaw 2080 39.79%
• Write-in 25 0.48%

Council Position No. 6:

• Debi Wagner 2379 45.60%
• Jerry Robison 2820 54.05%
• Write-in 18 0.35%

CITY OF NORMANDY PARK

In Normandy Park’s contested council races, incumbent Shawn McEvoy is edging challenger Todd McKittrick by just 8 votes, and Charlie Harris leads Stacia Jenkins by 6.

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 1561 / 4681 33.35%

Council Position No. 3

• Todd McKittrick 705 49.47%
• Shawn McEvoy 713 50.04%
• Write-in 7 0.49%

Council Position No. 5 short and full term

• Charlie Harris 704 50.11%
• Stacia Jenkins 698 49.68%
• Write-in 3 0.21%

CITY OF DES MOINES

In Des Moines, Mayor Bob Sheckler is trailing challenger Rebecca King by 27 votes, while Jeanette Burrage and Dan Caldwell are leading, and Proposition No. 1, a proposed tax for Des Moines Beach Park and Streets, is being soundly rejected:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 4294 / 14805 29.00%

Council Position No. 2:

• Jeanette Burrage 2280 61.04%
• Carri Litowitz 1425 38.15%
• Write-in 30 0.80%

Council Position No. 4

• Dan Caldwell 2013 55.53%
• Dave Markwell 1592 43.92%
• Write-in 20 0.55%

Council Position No. 6

• Rebecca King 1869 50.12%
• Bob Sheckler 1842 49.40%
• Write-in 18 0.48%

Proposition No. 1 Utility Occupation Tax for Des Moines Beach Park and Streets:

• APPROVED 1509 36.91%
• REJECTED 2579 63.09%

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401

In the contested Highline School Board Director race, Tyrone Curry, Sr. is leading Sili Savusa by over +10%:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 15627 / 56914 27.46%

Director District No. 1

• Tyrone Curry, Sr. 6824 54.89%
• Sili Savusa 5510 44.32%
• Write-in 99 0.80%

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT NO. 8

In the King County Council race, it looks like incumbent Joe McDermott is running away with it, holding a +34% lead over Diana Toledo, with 66.92% over her 32.7%:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 28552 / 110132 25.93%

Metropolitan King County Council District No. 8

• Joe McDermott 16848 66.92%
• Diana Toledo 8233 32.70%
• Write-in 95 0.38%

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN SEWER DISTRICT

In the race for the Southwest Suburban Sewer District, incumbent Scott Hilsen is leading Dan Johnson by over 24%.

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 8783 / 31568 27.82%

Commissioner Position No. 1

• Dan Johnson 2616 37.69%
• Scott Hilsen 4287 61.76%
• Write-in 38 0.55%

We’ll post more updates as they come in, so stay tuned…

City of Burien Council Position #2:

• Greg Duff
• Lucy Krakowiak

City of Burien Council Position #4:

• Bob Edgar
• Gordon M. Shaw

City of Burien Council Position No. 6

• Debi Wagner
• Jerry Robison

To count, your ballot must be postmarked for Tuesday, Nov. 8th; local Post Office locations and hours include:

• SEAHURST: 2116 SW 152ND ST, BURIEN, WA 98166-2027; Open Mon-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm
• BURIEN: 609 SW 150TH ST, BURIEN, WA 98166-9998; Open Mon-Fri: 8:30am-5:30pm
• RIVERTON HEIGHTS: 15250 32ND AVE S., SEATAC, WA 98188-9998; Open Mon-Fri: 8:30am-6:00pm
• DES MOINES: 2003 S 216TH ST., DES MOINES, WA 98198-9998; Open: Mon-Fri: 8:30am-6:00pm

Another option is to deposit it at a ballot drop box, the nearest of which is in Renton at the King County Elections office (919 SW Grady Way). For info on other drop box locations, click here.

For more information on the election, visit the King County Elections website here.

Also, be sure to check back to The B-Town Blog this evening around 8:30 p.m. for the first election returns.

Jack Mayne wrote an interesting analysis of the Berk Report and the issues regarding the annexation of the North Highline area. I would however take issue with part of his findings.

The article correctly states that the Governor “proposed eliminating the annexation Sales Tax Credit” and further “which her budget office projects would save $17.8 million”. It was also reported on October 27, that the Governor states her action terminate “a tax credit that benefits seven cities in King, Pierce or Snohomish counties.”

Okay so let us put this in real numbers. $17.8 million divided by seven cities is $2.5 million average. Not quite $5 million or even close. Since this credit is also based upon size of the city and the size of the annexed area, it is more than fair to say that larger cities than Burien are getting closer to the max amount.

Now look at the Berk report. It states in Findings #2 paragraph 1 that, “the annexation sales tax credit allow the city … up to the maximum 0.85% of the total CITY sales tax revenue not to exceed $5 million a year.” [Emphasis added]

Let us do the math on that. The city of Burien as averaged less than $5 million TOTAL sales tax revenues for the past four years (city budget records). If we use $5 million as the base amount sales tax revenue and multiply by 0.85 % we get $42,500 which would be the calculated annexation sales tax CREDIT to be received not $5 million. ($5,000,000 X 0.0085 = $42,500.) The Berk report uses this max $5 million figure throughout the rest of its report. Is that a reasonable number for the City Council to base its decision upon?

In a different publication by the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington it states, “The tax is a credit …against the 6.5% STATE SALES TAX, so it is not an additional tax to a consumer.” This appears to contradict the Berk Report as to the basis of calculating the “credit”.

The numbers in Mr. Mayne’s article, previous B-Town blog article, and in the Berk Report just do not “pencil out”. Whether or not the Governor eliminates the Sales Tax Credit to cities is a critical factor. It however should not end nor allow for what appears to be erroneous numbers in this annexation debate. Either the money ($5million) is there or it is not. Seven cities cannot get $5 million each from a pot of $17.8 million.

- Chuck Rangel

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We’d like to welcome our latest Advertiser, Todd McKittrick, who’s running for Normandy Park City Council, Position #3.

As we do with all our Advertisers, we’re allowing Mr. McKittrick a forum to share his message:

Letter to Normandy Park Voters,

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to all of you, and answer some of the many questions I respond to daily about my campaign for Normandy Park City Council Position #3. Never in a million years would I see myself running for public office, but we badly need to bring new voices and ideas to the council, and bring business back to Normandy Park.

The “Hand Off Our Homes” slogan is my statement that over the past years the City of Normandy Park and the City Council have continued to push an agenda of unreasonably limiting private property rights throughout the city. Certainly, some changes have been mandated by the State of Washington, but developing new environmental regulations and sensitive area definitions that go far beyond the state requirements is expensive and punitive to our residents. And making crimes out of activities on your own property, punishable by a year in jail, puts Normandy Park in a class by itself.

There is also an unseen element to this effort to limit our property rights by some members of the Normandy Park city council that is going on behind the scenes. Manipulation of processes, hiding plans from the public until they can’t be stopped, and bypassing established safeguards in our democratic process are common now.

Two excellent recent examples of this are:

• The cancellation of the October 18 public meeting on the Manhattan SubArea Plan until after the election by order of the Mayor, Shawn McEvoy, depriving our residents of badly needed answers regarding the real extent of the plans proposed by Studio Cascade, the consultants purchased with money from the King County Transfer of Development Rights program.
• The submission of our Shoreline Inventory to the State for approval before it was seen by either the City Council or the public, a clear violation of the public trust. Incidentally, this is the document that proposes retuning the Normandy Park Cove property that many of us enjoy to a salt marsh.

There are too many more examples of this sort of sleight-of-hand to list here, but no one can believe that this is the democratic public process that we should be able to expect of our City Government. Regardless of how well-meaning the objectives, our city officials should not be hiding their actions, or stepping outside the law and established public processes to achieve them. This is what “Hands Off Our Homes” means.

Secondly, I don’t think Normandy Park should be in the development business. Instead I think it should be spending its resources to help encourage businesses to come into Normandy Park.

Really, I wish I could have two sets of campaign signs – the second slogan being “How Can Normandy Park HELP”, with the main objective of encouraging businesses to come back into Normandy Park. I would do everything I could to make sure the policies and the attitude of the City government guide its employees to a “How Can We Help You” attitude that will bring business investment back into Normandy Park.

Normandy Park’s capital reserves are a fraction of what they were in years past, but when I look for any change in direction the city has taken to adjust, I simply can’t find it. How many businesses have we coming into Normandy Park in recent years? It pales in comparison to the businesses leaving Normandy Park. Without a steady sales tax base this City will not be able to operate at the level we have grown accustomed too. We need to have a tax base that will help pay for the government without adding more general taxes on its residents. The City of Normandy Park has raised taxes for Park, Storm, and business in the past years but it still cannot manage to increase the sales tax base it desperately needs.

I hope that this helps to answer some of the questions about why I’m trying to help change the attitudes and direction of the city we all love.

Thank you for your vote on November 8.

Todd McKittrick
Toddmckittrick4npcouncil@yahoo.com

We’d like to welcome our latest Advertiser to The B-Town Blog – Bob Edgar for Position #4 of the Burien City Council!

As we do with all our Advertisers, we’re allowing Mr. Edgar a forum to present his message:

MY GOALS FOR BURIEN-

• A safe and vibrant city with a small town flavor
• A government that is fiscally responsible
• A sustainable community that supports Burien families and businesses for the long-term
• A place to live where citizen and neighborhood voices are listened to with respect and reflected in city government decisions
• I am opposed to any further annexations by Burien at this time.
• Animal Control is not working effectively. There appear to be ongoing problems with: adequate funding, operational transparency and sporadic levels of services. When elected, I will request a reexamination of Animal Control.

The citizens of Burien have spoken! I am proud to have won the Primary election for this position. Thank you for your votes. It is clear Burien residents want change on the Burien Council and I believe that I can provide that positive change. I bring fresh ideas and new perspectives on the challenges facing our city.

Thank you for your ongoing support and vote.

Education:

• A.A Computer Science
• B.A Earth Science, MBA Information Systems,
• Doctorate, Seattle University-Educational Leadership

Experience:

• Burien Comprehensive Plan
• Shoreline Master Program
• Board Member-Shorewood on the Sound Community and Sustainable Burien;
• Member-Neighbors Of Seahurst Park;
• Committee Member-Salmon Creek Neighborhood
• Volunteer marking storm drains

Vote BOB EDGAR for Burien City Council Position 4 Nov. 8, 2011

Website: http://www.electbob4burien.org/

E-mail: ElectBob4Burien@yahoo.com

To the B-Town Blog

Subject:  Comment by Sue on Sally Nelson’s Post

This is a statement to clarify the charge against my campaign workers and myself.  Sue has stated that I am indulging in dirty tricks and that I and my campaign workers are stealing, illegally destroying and illegally removing campaign signs on 4th Ave. SW.  I know the team of campaign workers who put out signs on 4th Ave. SW. and I can unequivocally state that none of these workers illegally destroyed, stole or removed Gordon Shaw’s signs.  If Sue has proof of who did this, then she should immediately contact King County Elections and file a complaint.  However, Sue is claiming in this blog that I am responsible for causing Gordon Shaw’s signs to disappear.  Destroying, stealing or removing political signs is an illegal act and she is accusing me of this in her comment on this blog site.  There is absolutely no truth to this blog comment.  I am requesting that her blog comment be removed immediately.

Thanks,
Bob Edgar

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to a recent letter questioning City Council candidate Gordon Shaw’s contributors. The letter expresses concern over a contribution made by the Affordable Housing Council (AHC) on behalf of Shaw. As a point of clarification, the AHC is actually affiliated with the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, not the Building Industry Association of Washington, which only endorses legislative candidates and those running for statewide office.

The AHC supports candidates in King and Snohomish counties who support diverse, affordable housing for our community, regardless of party affiliation. For a complete list of AHC-endorsed candidates, see: http://www.masterbuildersinfo.com/index.cfm?/Members/Political-Action-Center/page/Endorsed-Candidates. For those interested in learning more about the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, I invite you to visit: www.masterbuildersinfo.com.

More importantly, we encourage readers to look at Gordon Shaw’s qualifications and decide for themselves how to vote in this race. The AHC endorses Shaw because he understands the importance of housing in the community, cares deeply about Burien’s future and has demonstrated leadership on countless occasions throughout his service on the City Council.

Samuel L. Anderson
Executive Officer
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties

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