For those who pushed for the annexation of the Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods into Kirkland, the fight was about unity. The annexation brought an area where neighbors already felt it was a part of Kirkland into the city.

But that unity will be a little more splintered as the King County Districting Committee issued its final redistricting map, giving Kirkland three representatives on the King County Council instead of just one.

The committee has decided to move the northwest side of Kirkland, primarily the Finn Hill neighborhood, out of District 6, which is represented by Jane Hague. District 6 still encompasses all of Kirkland proper.

Instead, the Finn Hill area will now be served by District 1 and Councilman Bob Ferguson, who is also running in the 2012 race for state attorney general. District 1 primarily serves the northeast side of Seattle.

“No districting plan can be perfect, but the committee made every effort to conduct its business openly, to listen to the public and use their ideas when possible, and to draw districts that truly serve the people of King County,” said committee Chair Terrence Carroll in a press release.

The committee also moved a small section of the Kingsgate neighborhood into District 3, which is served by Kathy Lambert.

“I know that many Finn Hill residents filed comments with the committee urging that it leave Finn Hill in District 1,” said Scott Morris, president of the Denny Creek Neighborhood Association, in an email to neighbors on Wednesday.”

Similarly, the City of Kirkland sent a letter to the committee asking that Finn Hill not be moved from District 1.

“I am personally disappointed that these comments appear to have had no effect on the districting committee,” said Morris.

He personally testified during the public comment portion of the process. The Finn Hill area has been in District 6 for 15 years.

“… That undoing this decision was inconsistent with the committee’s own criterion that cities not be divided between districts, and that moving Finn Hill now seemed particularly ill-timed given our recent annexation by Kirkland,” said Morris.

The loss of Hague is tough for the Finn Hill area as she has been a big advocate for the neighborhood while on the King County Council. Hague was instrumental in the annexation into Kirkland and many other issues that directly and indirectly impact the neighborhood.

The change also presents an opportunity for the city in that it will have three voices on the King County Council.

“It is an honor to serve the people of District 1, and I am eager to hear from residents about what matters to them,” said Ferguson in a press release. “It is important to me that I keep the lines of communication open with the people I represent.”

Council district boundaries must be redrawn after each U.S. Census to make each district as nearly equal in population as possible.

All districts in the approved plan are within one-quarter of one percent of the 2011 Council district target population of 214,583.

More information

To contact Councilman Bob Ferguson, email bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov