From today’s P-I:

Responding to a nearly $70 million estimated budget shortfall in King County, local criminal-justice leaders said Thursday they plan to move thousands of property-crime, forgery and drug cases to lower-level courts…

“After these cuts we won’t be responding to the smaller crimes … [and it] will not discourage criminals; it will only encourage them,” [KC Prosecutor Dan] Satterberg said.

“We will now have two levels of public safety,” [KC Sheriff Sue] Rahr said.

While deputies will be able to investigate property crimes inside the cities it contracts services for, people in unincorporated areas will not get those services, she said.

I’m looking at you, East Federal Way (aka Lakeland North and South, according to some maps). The county can’t help you anymore. The county can’t afford you anymore. The county is going to start rolling up the sidewalks. The longer you hold out, the more you’ll regret it. The days of old semi-rural Federal Way are long since over.
You have two choices. Incorporate or annex.

Luckily, you have some friendly neighbors to the west that would be more than willing to invite you under their umbrella.

Quit looking a gift horse in the mouth, and get on board the Federal Way train.