LETTER: ‘City of Burien Has a Structural Financial Deficit & is Going Broke’

To the Editor: The City of Burien has a structural financial deficit and is going broke. At the City Council meeting of October 22, 2012, the City Manager/Mike Martin and the City Council tried to deny... [Read more]

‘Disincorporation is Not An Option’ for Normandy Park, According to City

“Disincorporation is not an option under consideration by the City Council or City management as reported recently by media sources.” So reads an announcement released Thursday (July 12) by... [Read more]

‘It’s Quite a Crisis’ – The City of Normandy Park is Rapidly Going Broke

"A structural problem" – Normandy Park City Manager Doug Schulze. by Ralph Nichols Normandy Park, one of King County’s smallest suburban cities, is rapidly going broke. City Manager Doug... [Read more]

Burien City Councilmembers Ask For More Info On Annexation Financials

by Ralph Nichols Burien’s “special district partners” gave city councilmembers their appraisal Monday night (Sept. 12) of impacts a potential annexation of North Highline would have on affected fire,... [Read more]

Burien Council To Hold Special Meeting On Annexation Monday, Sept. 19

Burien City Councilmembers will continue their discussion of the potential annexation of the North Highline at a special meeting Monday, Sept. 19. No date has yet been set by the council for a vote on... [Read more]

Consultant: ‘Annexation Is Financially Viable’ In Monday’s Council Packet

A private contractor for the City of Burien claims that the annexation of the remaining part of North Highline/White Center is “financially viable,” according to the packet for the upcoming... [Read more]

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Advertiser Sunrise Financial Answers The Question: ‘To Pay Off, Or Not…?’

BTB Advertiser Sunrise Financial Services wants to answer our Readers questions, and this month the question is “To pay off, or not to pay off?”: by Janice Hammond To pay off, or not to pay... [Read more]

City Manager Says Town Square Sale A Sign That Condos Will Sell Again

by Ralph Nichols Saying this is “something we’ve been expecting for quite a long time,” Burien City Manager Mike Martin said Thursday (Oct. 28) called a pending trustee’s sale... [Read more]

BREAKING: Burien Town Square May Be Sold At Trustee’s Sale Friday

by Ralph Nichols Burien Town Square’s only privately developed property – the nearly vacant condominium/retail complex built by Urban Partners, which opened in June 2009 – is now expected to be sold... [Read more]

Starting From Scratch At 71: One Man’s Plan To Reach Financial Independence, One Trade At a Time

by Nicholas Johnson Jim Todd, 71, and his wife Karen, 63, sit side-by-side in computer chairs, each roaming the Internet on their respective computers. Karen sits back as she picks up a lit Swisher Sweets... [Read more]

Burien Property Taxpayers Expected To Get Slight Break in 2011

by Ralph Nichols As Burien City Council members prepare to resume work on the 2011-12 general fund budget on Monday, Oct. 25, there is good news for local property taxpayers. The property tax on a $300,000... [Read more]

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Advertiser Sunrise Financial Services: What Not To Put Off For Retirement

BTB Advertiser Sunrise Financial Services wants our Readers to know about the “6 Things Not To Put Off If Retirement Is On the Horizon”: by Janice Hammond, Financial Advisor, Sunrise Financial... [Read more]

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Newest Advertiser Sunrise Financial Services Offers No Cost Financial Advising

We’d like to welcome our latest Advertiser, Sunrise Financial Services, who’d like us to share the following with our Readers: Burien native Janice Hammond has been in the financial service... [Read more]

Moody’s Ups Burien’s Bond Rating In Time For Asphalt Overlay Project

by Ralph Nichols Burien had “a great sale” of bonds on Aug. 16 totaling about $8.7 million to pay for the first phase of the city wide asphalt overlay project, city council members were told at their... [Read more]

“City In Good, Stable Financial Condition” As 2011-12 Budget Is Presented

by Ralph Nichols “The city is in good, stable financial condition” as work begins on Burien’s 2011-12 biennial budget, interim Finance Director Gary Coleman recently reported to council members. “We’re... [Read more]

Urban Partners Anticipates Imminent Settlement Over Town Square Complex

by Ralph Nichols Despite recent notice of a pending foreclosure action against the condominium/retail complex in Burien Town Square, negotiations between Urban Partners and ST Residential have progressed... [Read more]

REPORT: Burien Town Square Facing Foreclosure

The Seattle Times reports that Burien’s Town Square is facing foreclosure. According to the report: The firm that holds the note on the construction loan for Burien Town Square Condominium filed... [Read more]

Dark Financial Cloud Above Burien Lifted With Westmark Settlement

by Ralph Nichols A dark financial cloud that cast a long shadow over Burien’s plans for its future disappeared when City Council members gave unanimous approval Monday night (July 19) to a negotiated... [Read more]

King County Council Places Sales Tax Measure On November Ballot

On Monday (July 19), the King County Council announced that it had approved placing a proposal on the November ballot to increase the sales and use tax in King County, with revenue going predominately... [Read more]

Urban Partners’ Paul Keller Explains Financial Woes To City Council

by Ralph Nichols Burien City Council members were told in a cautiously optimistic “bottom-line” update Monday night (May 24) that residential units in the mostly vacant, six-story Town Square... [Read more]

‘We Can Be Proud Of What We Did’ – Town Square Developer Dan Rosenfeld

by Ralph Nichols As work on the six-story condominium/retail complex in Town Square neared completion, principals of Urban Partners held their breath, month by month, until troubled Corus Bank of Chicago... [Read more]

Highline Community College Receives $250K To Boost Job Training

On Thursday (Mar. 4), Highline Community College’s Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics (ITTL) announced that it had received $250,000 to provide additional... [Read more]

YMCA's Fundraising Drive Exceeds $40 Million Goal By $800K

In a down economy, it’s always reassuring to hear of successful fundraising efforts, and the Greater Seattle YMCA has some great news – their recent $40 million capital campaign has not only... [Read more]

Burien Native Spearheading Effort To Save Zoo's Nocturnal House

by Scott Schaefer Scott Gifford was born and raised in Normandy Park, spent a lot of time in Burien, went to school and got his first job here and now works as an attorney in Seattle. His passion now? To... [Read more]