State Supreme Court to Reconsider Annexation Decision

October 14, 2002

On Friday, October 11, the state supreme court granted motions by the cities of Moses Lake and Yakima for reconsideration of its decision invalidating the petition method of annexation in Grant County Fire Protection District v. Moses Lake.

The court's order granting the motions means only that the court has agreed to hear oral arguments and receive supplemental written briefs on whether to modify its decision. The order does not mean that the court has changed or will change its decision invalidating the petition method, although it may decide to do so, in whole or in part or to clarify it, after hearing the arguments pro and con. The date for oral argument has yet to be set, although it will be heard sometime during the court's Winter term, which runs from January to March.

In the meantime, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) is developing legislative alternatives regarding methods of annexation. If you have questions regarding that process, please contact Dave Williams at AWC.