Before Monday night’s (Dec. 21) city council meeting, the City of Burien recognized Councilmember Gerald Jerry Robison for his service to the Council by issuing a proclamation in his honor and giving him a key to the City.
Robison’s term expires Dec. 31, and he did not seek re-election this year. The proclamation was presented during a pre-Council meeting reception, during which Councilmembers and community members were invited to share their words of thanks.
Robison was elected to the City Council in November 2011. He had been appointed by the Council in early 2011 to complete the unexpired term of retiring councilmember Kathy Keene.
Prior to his appointment to the Council, Robison served on the Burien Planning Commission as a member and vice chair.
His other community activities have included the White Center Kiwanis, as Charter President and current Board member; founding member of the North Highline Unincorporated Council; Board member and President of the White Center Jubilee Days; Past President of the White Center Chamber of Commerce; and Treasurer/Director of the Manufactured Housing Community Preservationists. Robison has lived in the Burien area for nearly four decades, working in real estate before becoming an attorney in 1993.
He owns the Law Office of Gerald F. Robison.
The proclamation reads, in part:
“The Burien City Council of the City of Burien, Washington does hereby ask all Burien residents to join together in honoring Councilmember Gerald F. Robison and to thank him for his distinguished service to the City and community of Burien.”
Good luck Jerry,
We will miss your independent voice on the council. It was a pleasure working with you on the SMP Working Group.
I appreciate the sense of humor CM Robison brought to the meetings. Whether it was requesting that everything on the agenda for the past several months be “put off till January” or his comments on how many chickens (and assorted other animals) people should be allowed to have on their lots. I congratulate him on having served his time and hope he is able to relax and enjoy his now free Monday evenings.
Remember also that Gerald Robison stated that he spent some 20 years working on Burien’s attempt to annex White Center and that his primary purpose on the council was to annex White Center. His actions cost the tax-payers of Burien over half a million dollars and countless staff hours. After the failed attempt he then pushed for dividing Burien into Wards which was a last minute divide and conquer tactic in order to save the seats of his fellow pro-annexation council members. I find it fitting that Nancy Tosta, another closet pro-annexation member, is seen giving Gerry the award. I don’t want to sound vindictive but I am glad that every council member who supported annexation is now gone. It is reason for celebration. Time to light off some fireworks!
Or save those fireworks for 2017 when through interlocal agreement White Center becomes part of Seattle without a vote by the residents!
All signs to date point to an annexation vote for White Center into Seattle, should it occur as planned, according to city spokespeople. (Seattle still seems to be holding out for more state funding.)
In order for an interlocal agreement to accomplish annexation without a vote, it must be an agreement between the county, the city and the local fire district. Were that to occur, a petition could still force a citizen vote, according to state law.
In fact of law Seattle cannot annex white center without a vote of its residents if the residents excercise their options.
Although annexation by Seattle is not necessariiy a bad thing.
If I lived in white center I would vote for it.
Thank you for being the voice of North Burien. The council will not be the same without you.
Thank you Jerry, for your service to Burien and the long hours you put in to make Burien better.
Jerry Robison is the last of the pushers of special interests of the county who wanted us to take over the financial obligations of white center.
Even though it was opposed by the vast majority of Burien residents.
Jerry Robison along with Mike Martin put white center over Burien every time when push came to shove. I for one am glad to see him go. I think Austin unlike Jerry has his priorities where they should be, which is to represent the taxpayers of burien not outside interests.