05/14/2026
Birch Bay Incorporation Association
Quarterly Community Meeting
Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM
The Birch Bay Incorporation Association will host a public community meeting on Thursday, May 21, at 6:00 p.m. to present its final report on the financial feasibility of incorporating Birch Bay as a city.
The meeting will include a presentation of the report’s findings, Q&A, comment opportunities, and discussion about possible next steps in the incorporation process.
What the Report Covers
The report is the result of nearly three years of research, public outreach, surveys, and financial analysis conducted by BBIA. It evaluates whether Birch Bay could operate as an incorporated city and examines potential impacts on taxes, local services, governance, and long-term community planning.
A central conclusion of the report is that Birch Bay could operate as a financially sustainable city without increasing current local tax rates under a realistic lean staffing scenario based on the County’s feasibility study framework.
The report also examines alternate scenarios that would also improve local control over services and keep more locally generated revenue focused on Birch Bay priorities.
Key Topics
Financial feasibility
The report evaluates several financial models and concludes that Birch Bay could operate as a city under realistic assumptions while maintaining balanced municipal budgets.
Local revenue and services
BBIA’s analysis estimates that Birch Bay contributes more in county-directed taxes and fees than the estimated value of county services currently provided to the community, raising the question of whether more locally generated revenue could be reinvested directly in Birch Bay.
Funding opportunities
As a city, Birch Bay would become eligible for certain revenue sources and funding tools not currently available to unincorporated areas, including state-shared revenues, transportation funding programs, grants, lodging tax authority, and real estate excise tax revenue.
Local governance and accountability
The report examines how incorporation could allow Birch Bay residents to elect local leaders focused specifically on Birch Bay priorities, including public safety, infrastructure, land use, permitting, parks, and long-term community planning.
Join the Conversation
BBIA encourages residents to attend, review the findings, ask questions, and consider the trade-offs between cost, service levels, and local control.
This meeting is intended to support an informed, community-wide discussion about Birch Bay’s future.
Join us in person:
North Bay Community Church (4895 Birch Bay Lynden Rd, Birch Bay)
Join us remotely via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84523002788
