At the Burien City Council meeting on Monday, July 14, 2025, councilmembers tackled a range of pressing community issues, from dispelling immigration misinformation to addressing skyrocketing Recology bills that have left residents questioning recent increases.

The meeting also included a look at the city’s financial health, an update on future King County Metro transit changes, and a city manager’s report that touched on community engagement and the impact of new state legislation.

Immigrant Rights Information

Councilmembers Alex Andrade and Hugo Garcia both shared concerns with the spreading of misinformation about immigration enforcement in the city. They said frightening rumors are causing people to live in unnecessary fear and isolation. Councilmember Andrade shared that informative training is available with a local Rapid Response Team and an organization called Know Your Rights. She said the public can email her for more info on training. Councilmember Garcia shared the phone number for a hotline to directly report any ICE activity to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network at 844-724-3737.

Second Quarter Financial Report

The council heard a report on the state of city finances. The full report is available at this link. Both spending and revenue are on track for what was expected this quarter. Finance Director Casey Headley described and documented the types of services that are being funded in various departments, which is also available at the link.

Recology Bills Skyrocket

Councilmember Jimmy Matta said that he has been getting a lot of questions from the community about why their bills from Recology have suddenly shot up. Residents are seeing bills for the garbage and recycling collection service that have jumped by around 50%. People are wondering if this is because of a new city utility tax. 

City Manager Adolfo Bailon explained that the city signed a 10-year contract back in 2024, which went into effect in June. The last 10-year contract was for a lower rate, but Recology had to increase rates to keep up with state standards, one of which requires them to replace all the bins to align the colors with those in other areas. Before signing this contract with Recology, the city also got a bid from Waste Management. Recology offered a significantly lower price for the same services.

It was also mentioned that there is a utility assistance program for seniors and low income residents. Information on applying for utility bill assistance can be found here on the city’s website. Anyone who qualifies will also be exempt from paying the city utility tax.

Transit Update

The council heard an update from King County Metro on planned changes to bus service that will occur in the fall of 2026. The project aims to better connect the area with new light rail stations. Other changes include improved weekend service and better east-west connections. King County Metro has been doing outreach to the public and is continuing to collect feedback from riders on this project. There is a survey available at this link, until the end of August.

Mayor Kevin Schilling asked about the possibility of making the bus-only lane along Ambaum into a carpool lane, or something else that will ease congestion. He said many people have told him the bus only lane is not working. Councilmember Garcia added that many drivers have simply switched to using 4th Ave to avoid Ambaum traffic, and that has caused congestion on 4th. Metro presenters said they would look into what they can do.

City Manager Update

City Manager Adolfo Bailon shared that the next Coffee Chat With The City Manager will be this Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Lake Burien School Memorial Park. The theme of this chat will be the Parks Department, and there will be ice cream for the community.

Bailon also shared that the new state legislation, HB 2015, which allows cities to raise sales tax by 0.1%, would not do much good for Burien. He said this legislation is intended to benefit much larger cities, and that Burien would only see an additional $13,000 per year if they were to increase this tax. He added that the details of the legislation remain unclear, with many cities working on how to institute it.

During public comments, one speaker said that a weekly email she gets from Des Moines City Manager Katherine Caffrey is very informative, and that perhaps Burien’s city manager could do something similar.

There are no more city council meetings until September.

Video

Watch full, raw video of the council meeting below:

Mellow DeTray is a Seattle native who has spent the last 16 years raising her family in Burien. She has volunteered at many local establishments over the years, including the Burien Library, Burien Actors...