Vashon Islanders' Failed Bid for Annexation
A local election to transfer territory from King to Pierce County ends in a technical victory for King County authorities.
The voters of Maury Island and southern Vashon Island have determined to remain part of King County. Initial reports in Tacoma newspapers claiming that a large slice of King County had been annexed to Pierce County following last Saturday's election were premature. While the petition for annexation was driven by local residents who felt the islands were naturally tributary to Tacoma and isolated from Seattle, the election results fell short of the legal requirement. Out of 106 votes cast, 56 favored the transfer and 51 opposed it. However, under state law, a three-fifths majority is required to transfer allegiance to another county. County Attorney Scott advised residents that the attempt failed, cementing the island's status in King County.
“It is said that no election held in recent years in the locality aroused so much feeling.”
County boundary disputes were common in early Washington as residents prioritized economic access over administrative affiliation. The tension between Vashon's cultural ties to Tacoma versus its legal ties to Seattle persists in the regional identity of the islands today.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.