Fairwood will decide in November whether to annex to the City of Renton.

The Renton City Council Monday night voted unanimously to place Proposition 1 on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Earlier, the council had considered placing the matter on the primary ballot in August. But the council approved an amendment offered by member King Parker to move the election to November.

Parker and other council members expressed the desire to let the emotions cool off in the Fairwood community after a contentious, and failed, attempt in November to form a new City of Fairwood.

Also, council members want to ensure Fairwood residents have plenty of factual information about annexation before they decide their future.

A November election date means the annexation would become effective mid 2011 or a little later.

The city will need to add about 50 employees to provide services to this 4,479-acre community of about 27,000 people.

The council’s action came at its last meeting of the year. The council was under pressure to send the annexation proposal to the Washington state Boundary Review Board for King County in order to qualify for a credit against the state sales tax. The money will go toward the transition costs of absorbing Fairwood, if voters approve annexation.

Supporters of annexation were pleased with the council’s decision.

“The Renton City Council has affirmed the expressed desires of Fairwood voters who confirmed, in two elections, that they wanted the option of governance,” said J. Paul Blake, former chair of the “GoVoteNo!” anti-incorporation group and a member of Choose Renton.

“They rejected the ill-advised measures to incorporate and the misrepresentations of incorporation proponents. I’m confident that in November Fairwood residents will choose to become part of the great City of Renton,” he said.

Linda Petersen, who has lived in Fairwood for 40 years, told the council that annexing the entire Fairwood area meets with the wishes of Fairwood residents. Two annexation petitions were submitted to the City of Renton, one just to annex Fairwood’s commercial core and the second to annex everything else.