BLAINE LACK OF COMPLIANCE
September 18 letter to Whatcom County:
In her May 18, 2022, letter to Blaine and Whatcom County governments, April Hashimoto submitted a petition representing 455 residents of Blaine in Semiahmoo, noting their concerns with Semiahmoo uplands development and lack of compliance with development codes. (Blaine's codes are far weaker than Whatcom County's, unenforced, and are frequently violated by waivers issued to friends of Blaine Community Development Services.) As Ms. Hashimoto observed, "the city council and county council have a fiduciary duty to ensure that growth is managed in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, particularly the Growth Management Act and State Environmental Policy Act ("SEPA")."
The petitioners demanded among other items a comprehensive storm water strategy that meets the standards of Washington State, and an Environmental Impact Study--neither of which has been done by the City of Blaine in the three years since.
Writing to the City of Blaine on January 12, 2023, April Hashimoto, President of Semiahmoo Resort Association (SRA), noted that SRA is not just an interested member of the public: "As the governing body of the Master Resort, SRA legally has a seat at the table and will be directly impacted by everything within the Master Resort that it governs...The SRA notes that all reviews and approvals of stormwater design and capacity are the responsibility of the City of Blaine and therefore all legal liability resulting from an inadequate design and/or an inadequate review process rests with the city."
In my August 31, 2025 complaint to the Washington Secretary of State elections division I observed the following:
On July 14, 2025, I was appointed by the City of Blaine to write the voters pamphlet statement against the UGA Swap Proposition 2025-07. The official title of the City "Reduction of City Limits" proposition is misleading (see attached). It is a process designed to annex approximately 800 acres of the Semiahmoo headlands, while de-annexing roughly 500 acres in East Blaine. The Secretary of State should change the ballot title to "UGA Swap" to reflect this.
Four other qualified applicants against the proposition were rejected by Blaine City Council, including a land use/environmental law attorney [Ann House] and [April Hashimoto] the vice president of Semiahmoo Residents [Resort] Association. This leaves me in the position of having to sign the voters pamphlet statement and rebuttals to City of Blaine attorneys without the recognized company in the voters pamphlet of other community leaders.
On July 23, 2025, I asked the Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn to appoint two more applicants to the 'Against' committee for a total of three as state law says they should do "whenever possible." Additionally, I asked Ms. Henthorn to change the ballot measure title for accuracy. She took no action other than to wish me luck.
On July 24, 2025, I responded to Auditor Henthorn's dismissive remarks noting that on July 14, 2025, the City of Blaine attempted to mislead Blaine voters by rejecting recognized community leaders Ann House and April Hashimoto who applied for the 'Against' committee appointments, and only appointing me. I said the County Auditor must act quickly on this public participation/government misconduct emergency that corrupts the election. I observed that forcing me to go to all this trouble just to level the playing field between myself and the City of Blaine attorneys compounds the injury to myself, my associates, and the voters deprived of timely and critical information.
In yet another July 24, 2025 letter to Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn, I noted that it isn't just what the voter pamphlet committees say, it is also who says it. Voters look for names of people and organizations they recognize when deciding how to vote, especially on complex matters such as changing City boundaries, infrastructure, and taxes. The City of Blaine decision to exclude recognized community leaders April Hashimoto and Ann House from the 'Against' committee opposing the city proposition deceives voters into thinking only I am opposed to the measure. Allowing this misrepresentation to influence the election makes the Whatcom County Auditor liable.
In my July 25, 2025, letter to Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn I said, should she decide to allow the City of Blaine "Reduction of City Limit" Proposition to proceed to the ballot, I urge her to take action by changing the ballot title to "UGA Swap" in order to more accurately inform voters. "UGA Swap" is the term used in the City of Blaine Resolution 1982-25 passed on July 14, 2025, placing the Proposition on the ballot and establishing the voters pamphlet statement committees. It is a more accurate description of the intent of the Proposition that the Auditor needs to address.
For the above reasons, this City-sponsored proposition that omits critical information and an accurate reflection of citizen opposition should not be allowed on the ballot in its present form. I initially brought the Blaine Ballot Fraud issue regarding Proposition 2025-07 to the attention of the Public Disclosure Commission, which informed me it was the Whatcom County Auditor, Stacy Henthorn, who has the authority to remedy the voters pamphlet 'Against' committee manipulation and deceptive ballot title by Blaine City Council. She dismissed my requests.
On July 28, 2025, I asked the Secretary of State elections division to change the fraudulent ballot title or remove the measure from the ballot. I did not receive any replies to my forwarded County Auditor letters to the Secretary of State elections division. There is apparently a regulatory gap on policing government sponsored propositions.
Due to the city manipulation of voter pamphlet statement committee appointments, concealment of vital information, and the misleading title of this city proposition, it should never have been allowed on the ballot. The Secretary of State should investigate immediately.
At the April 28, 2025 City Council Work Session on the UGA Swap between East and West Blaine Urban Growth Areas, Blaine Community Development Services proposed expanding the city limits by 759 acres in the Semiahmoo headlands--where sewer and water infrastructure is estimated at $40 million*--and reducing the city limits in east Blaine by 502 acres. Utility bills for capital and operational costs to Blaine taxpayers would rise significantly. *(capacity of sewage and stormwater treatment not included)
When one of the East Blaine developers pulled out of the deal, Community Development Services came up with the idea of shifting some development to the Semiahmoo headlands and expanding the city limits there. This shift could easily cost Blaine residents $100-200 million in the form of significantly increased utility bills to 1. extend sewer and water to the headlands, 2. increase sewer and stormwater treatment capacity, and 3. purify our previously unpolluted drinking water. The deceptive "Reduction of City Limits" ballot proposition is in reality the initial step in expanding the city limits--in essence, fraud.
Jay Taber, Blaine Water Coalition
Chair, Voters Pamphlet Committee Against Blaine Proposition 2025-07
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