Residents living within the Chehalis urban growth area (UGA) are being asked to accept a sweeping annexation with serious financial, public safety and governance consequences — without being given a direct vote.
That is unacceptable.
If this annexation proceeds as currently proposed, residents can expect to potentially see higher costs of living and new restrictions that many never agreed to. Cellphone bills and power bills would potentially increase by an estimated 6% due to city utility taxes. Property owners could face new land-use regulations and restrictions on animal ownership. Mandatory garbage and recycling services would be imposed. Fire District 5 residents could begin paying for ambulance calls, and Fire Districts 5 and 6 could effectively be absorbed by the City of Chehalis within the annexation area.
Perhaps most troubling, the annexation law relied upon by the city — and allowed by the county — fails to adequately account for the defunding of two fire districts and the resulting impacts on emergency response and public safety. The residents being annexed currently have no representation in Chehalis city government, yet are being asked to shoulder the risks and costs of a decision made without their consent.
The process has revealed a troubling lack of leadership. County commissioners appear more focused on avoiding conflict than protecting constituents. Responsibility is deflected from one district to another, while residents are left without clear advocacy. Even the one-week delay in the county’s vote — coinciding with Thanksgiving — felt less like meaningful review and more like a procedural maneuver to quiet public opposition.
This annexation is not happening in a vacuum. It is widely understood that a key driver is the development of a major point-of-sale warehouse and the ability to tax electricity at six percent — impacting both large commercial users and homeowners alike. Meanwhile, the City of Chehalis and the Lewis County commissioners appear eager to make public resistance disappear.
It won’t.
Citizens living within the Chehalis UGA deserve better leadership, better planning and honest communication. They do not deserve to have life-altering decisions forced upon them under the assumption that government knows best — especially when the process has failed to demonstrate that confidence is warranted.
At minimum, this annexation must be put to a public vote. The people who will pay the taxes, live under the regulations, and rely on the affected emergency services deserve the final say.
A petition is currently circulating to require a referendum on this annexation. Registered voters who live within the Chehalis UGA are encouraged to sign. The petition deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Petition signing will be available at Chehalis City Park, near the swimming pool, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 4.
Tim Potter
Chehalis
