If you reside in Fire District #15, the City of Tumwater is already your first responder for fire and medical emergencies. If you live in Fire District #6, following annexation the City of Tumwater Fire Department would be your first responder for fire and medical emergencies, after a transition period. If you reside in any of the other surrounding fire districts then following annexation, the Tumwater Fire Department would immediately assume primary fire protection and emergency response duties. The City provides career staff, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The existing mutual aid agreement with neighboring fire districts would remain in effect and whoever is closest and available would respond to an emergency first, followed up by the primary service provider.

After annexation, primary response is provided by the Tumwater Police Department instead of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department. Tumwater has nearly 4.5 times more officers per thousand residents than Thurston County. The City of Tumwater provides 1.4 commissioned officers per thousand residents. Thurston County provides 0.3 commissioned officers per thousand residents. (Source: Crime in Washington: 2015 Annual Report, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs)

The City will take responsibility for the maintenance and electricity costs for County-owned streetlights. Existing street Light systems owned by Homeowner’s Associations that are located within public right-of-way, and which meet City standards, can be dedicated to the City upon the request of the Association. These systems would be maintained by the City and monthly electric bills would be paid by the City.

You can keep your farm animals, they will be “grandfathered” in. In fact, certain livestock are actually allowed in some zoning districts under the term “agriculture” within the City limits. Call the Community Development Department at (360) 754-4180 or visit the Urban Agriculture page for more information.

You can continue to use your current well and septic system after annexation. Annexation does not trigger any hookup requirements. In the event your well or septic system does fail, being part of the City may allow you to connect to City water or sewer service as necessary.

Yes. Tumwater also has several resident advisory boards. As a City resident, you would be eligible to serve on several Tumwater boards and commissions, including the Planning Commission, the Board of Parks and Recreation Commission, the Tree Board, the Library Board, and the Historic Commission.

In Tumwater, there are eight elected officials, including the Mayor and seven Councilmembers, for 23,000 residents. This means there is an elected official for approximately every 2,900 residents in Tumwater. In contrast, there are three County Commissioners for 272,700 County residents. That means there are 90,900 people vying for each County Commissioner’s attention. (Source: 2016 population estimates from Office of Financial Management)

You can still vote for the Thurston County Commissioners, even if your property is annexed into the City. You will be also be able to vote in the elections for the seven Tumwater City Council positions and the Tumwater Mayor. 

There are several methods by which annexations are done. The most common method is the Petition Method of Annexation. It starts with the property owner and is based on the tax assessed value of property. Any area that is to be annexed must have property owners representing at least 60% of the tax assessed value of the area requesting annexation. A rough analogy would be that a property owner “votes” with their tax assessed value.  A super majority (60%) in favor of annexation is required for the annexation to be successful. 

For more information:

• Annexation Handbook on the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) website
• Visit the City's Annexation web page
• See RCW 35A.14 for annexation laws 
• For information on tax assessed values visit the Thurston County Assessors Office web page
• Contact Community Development staff at (360) 754-4180.

No effects have been reported or observed. Most insurance companies base auto insurance rates on zip codes and an individual’s driving record, not city limit boundaries. 

In most instances, homeowners insurance rates have been observed to stay the same or decrease slightly. A homeowner's insurance policy is partially based on the rating of the fire district/department in which the home is located. The Tumwater fire department has a better rating than any of the surrounding fire districts. The lower the number the better the rating; Tumwater has a rating of 4 whereas East Olympia Fire District has a rating of 6 unless you are near a fire hydrant then it is a rating of 5. The Munn Lake Fire District has a rating of 4 because the City of Tumwater provides fire response coverage within that district. The Eastern urban growth area is evenly split between these two districts. (Rating Source: Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau.)

Property taxes are generally about the same. A 2014 analysis of property tax rates showed that an average homeowner in the East Olympia/Munn Lake fire districts would pay roughly $11 more per year after annexation. However, the City does have utility and B&O taxes so business and large consumers of electricity/gas would be affected differently. 

More information

• Annexation Handbook on the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) website  
• Visit the City's Annexation web page
• See RCW 35A.14 for annexation laws
• For information on tax assessed values see either the Thurston County Geodata Center or the Thurston County Assessors Office web page.
• Contact Community Development staff at (360) 754-4180.

Denial of an annexation does not affect whether or not a development can continue. In the event of a denial, a developer will be required to sign an annexation agreement for access to City water or sewer.

Zoning stays the same. The County has already adopted the City’s zoning for the entire urban growth area. See the Tumwater Comprehensive Plan for more information.

The urban growth area (UGA) is the area surrounding the City where urban development is to occur. This is to contain growth and prevent development from sprawling into the rural areas of the County. The boundaries of the urban growth area were set in 1983 and reaffirmed in the early 1990s through a public process that involved the residents and property owners of both Tumwater and Thurston County. The boundaries of the Tumwater urban growth area stretch from Black Lake to the Deschutes River and down to the vicinity of 93rd Avenue.

Zip Codes: Zip codes are not affected by annexation.

Schools: There is no effect on schools. School district boundaries are independent of city boundaries.

Common reasons include:

1. Better access to elected officials
2. Smaller and more responsive local government
3. A highly-rated fire department
4. More police officers per resident as compared to the County

More information:

• Annexation Handbook on the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) website  
• Visit the City's Annexation web page
• Contact Community Development staff at (360) 754-4180.

Applications are accepted for Council Advisory Boards throughout the year. Members serve limited terms and vacancies are filled from among applicants and are appointed by the Mayor. Applications are available online or by calling the Executive Department at (360) 754-4120. Visit the Advisory Boards, Commissions, and Committees page for more information.

If you want to address an issue that is scheduled for public hearing, plan to attend the Council meeting and speak during the hearing. If you want to speak about another issue, speak up during the "Public Comment" period held early during every Council meeting. See Attending a Council Meeting for more information.

No. Tumwater City Councilmembers are elected at-large, and represent the whole City. Learn more About Tumwater City Government.

Call (360) 754-4120 to speak with staff in the Mayor’s office. If the Mayor is unavailable, we may be able to refer you to other staff who are knowledgeable about your concerns. If you'd like to leave a message, a staff person can pass it along or transfer your call to the Mayor’s voicemail.

Tumwater City Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, WA  98501. Visit Council Meetings to learn more.

Annexation is the process of expanding the City limits to include properties currently outside the City. 

More information can be found in the Annexation Handbook on the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) website. An informational brochure can also be downloaded from the City of Tumwater Annexation page.

Annexation is governed by State law (RCW 35A.14). Due to the specific procedures and timelines spelled out in the RCWs, annexations take close to a year to complete, and involve multiple public hearings. The City has the right to refuse to annex any property.

If you have questions or are considering applying for annexation please contact Community Development staff at (360) 754-4180.