BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Plans to incorporate a populous region of Whatcom County are a step closer to becoming a reality.

Whatcom County Council voted 4-2 with one abstention at its meeting Tuesday night to analyze the possibility of making Birch Bay its own city.

My Bellingham Now previously reported that the council held a similar vote in July, which passed 6-1, to allocate $150,000 from the general fund for this study.

Councilmember Mark Stremler took issue with the sourcing of those funds.

“I’m in favor of this study, first of all. I’m not in favor of the funding method,” Stremler said. “The citizens of Whatcom County already paid for this in 2008.”

He argued that Birch Bay residents in favor of incorporating should pay a fraction of the cost.

But Councilmember Ben Elenbaas, whose district covers Birch Bay, says that residents have already contributed plenty towards the county’s general fund.

“What is there, 8,000 to 10,000 people in that area? So, they’re actually bigger than Blaine and they may have a sheriff’s deputy,” Elenbaas said. “So, there’s part of that general fund—a large part of that general fund—that comes from the people of Birch Bay.”

A data study on the region was last completed in 2008.

County Executive Satpal Sidhu added that updated data would give the council a better idea of what and if additional funding can be sourced.

“I have attended several of their meetings. the basic reason is—there is no information to base on. Like when we say if they can raise the money to do the study. I think the study will actually put real data in front of not only those citizens, but in front of the county council also,” Sidhu said.

Community Attributes Inc. will conduct the study, which is expected to be completed later this year.