The board that redraws city lines is missing two members
What happened: Two of the five seats on Whatcom's A five-member state-created board that reviews annexations, new cities and other boundary changes. Its members are appointed by the County, the Governor, the county's mayors and its special districts. are empty: the mayors' seat and the special districts' seat. Its Oct. 8 special meeting was cancelled, which we found no coverage of. The board didn't meet at all from 2021 until July 2025.
Why it matters: This board decides the two biggest boundary changes in the county: Blaine returning a large eastern area to the County (approved by voters, road deal settled Oct. 6), and Birch Bay's push to become Whatcom's first new city since Everson in 1929. Birch Bay's signature-gathering clock doesn't start until the board acts, so two empty seats and a cancelled meeting now set the pace. It's also the board that reviews every Bellingham annexation.
What's next: appointments to the two vacant seats, and a board meeting that isn't scheduled yet. Birch Bay backers are aiming for the November 2027 ballot. Follow it on Where things stand