It was close, but in the end the state certified a count of newly annexed Marysville residents that will bring an additional $700,000 into the city's coffers.

"We knew all along it was going to be close," said Gloria Hirashima, the city's planning director. "Luckily, the door-to-door head count worked in the city's favor."

State regulations, aimed at enticing cities to complete annexations of areas within Urban Growth Areas, allow for one-tenth of one percent of locally-collected sales tax to be granted back to the city for each 10,000 households annexed. Officials had estimated the neighborhoods in the Central Marysville Annexation to be home to 19,000 to 20,000 citizens, but the exact figure wasn't known until the third-party census was completed and certified.

That tally came to 20,048 residents, just enough to qualify for the additional one-tenth of a percent.

The annexation, which was completed December 30, 2009, brings Marysville's total population to 57,578, making it the second-largest city in Snohomish County.

The sales tax break will continue for 10 years, and is estimated to be valued at $1.4 million for 2010. The money is expected to be received in September.

Because the area in question is largely residential, service costs for the city are not completely offset by additional revenue. The sales tax bonus, which must be used for the annexed area, will help defray initial costs and allow the city to add services, like parks or improved street lighting, that might have otherwise been delayed.

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