Psst.
Hey, listen up. This is your lucky day.
I’m offering you a chance to become a full-fledged resident of (fill in the name of any immediately adjacent Eastern Shore city) and enjoy all of the benefits and privileges associated with that coveted status. It’s so great being one of us and not one of those county people.
Oh, I didn’t mean county people like you. I was referring to those other county people – the ones who live way over there, not right here next to me. And if you and your neighbors vote to let us bring you into the fold, you’ll get access to all the special stuff for city folks. It’s kinda like joining a country club – but there’s no initiation fee. And it’s so simple: just vote for Annexation.
Yes, folks it’s so simple that even a mayor could do it – no need to think or do much beyond marking the affirmative on the ballot when it’s put in front of you. Then (if enough right-minded neighbors do the same) you can just kick back, relax and enjoy all that comes with your new-found status as a City-Dweller.
And what comes with this new status? Well one thing that comes right away is a rise in your property taxes and right behind that are the assessments. You know, the city sees you as living in a virtual slum with septic tanks, a well and ditches to carry off storm water. And where are those curbs and sidewalks? All this added “infrastructure” has to be paid for and since you’re the one getting all of the benefits, it seems only right that you foot the bill.
If you got a business, there are new licensing fees and most likely the need to start collecting city sales taxes. But maybe you don’t need to worry about that little business you’ve been running out of your house, ‘cause it’s very possible when the new zoning comes in, you’re going to be zoned out – like “No businesses, residential use only.” And if you’re into crops and cows and stuff like that, better worry about a “best use of the land” valuation.
Could be that your cow pasture looks like a hot new 500-house subdivision now that it’s in the city. “Let’s see now, $20,000 per lot and there are 500 lots. Wow, that’s $10 million.” A whole bunch of money – and you better get cracking on figuring out how to cash in on this paper windfall, because the property tax man waits for no one – especially not for a newly (land) rich guy like you.
Remember that septic tank I mentioned a minute ago? Can’t have those in our fair city, so get ready to hook up to the new sewer lines. These lines, by the way, are probably going to be the little tiny kind, requiring a grinder and pump system to get “waste” from your toilet to the street connection (and you always thought it just flows downhill!). I was advised that a $20,000 investment by the homeowner to get hooked into the city sewer system is not an extreme example.
And think what could happen if you live in mobile home or a sub-standard house and a hurricane comes and blows it away. Or it burns down, or gets flooded. Insurance – if you’re lucky enough to still have coverage you can afford – may pay to get you back to the way you were, but it’s unlikely to cover much more than that. However, the city isn’t going to let you bring in another trailer or re-build a minimal, likely non-conforming house. Nope, you will have to build to city code – or go live somewhere else. Like out in the county away from city ordinances and zoning – like your situation right now.
And that’s my point. While mayors and city councils and concerned citizens are seeking ways to expand the area under control of their municipalities, they’re going about it in a pretty crude manner – when looked at from the perspective of the folks who will be annexed. The hope for slightly better fire and police coverage is a meager trade-off for having to cope with all of the potential costs associated with being annexed.
Local city leaders seem to feel that the allure of being brought into a city is sufficient to overcome this perceived imbalance in cost and benefits – they aren’t offering much and seem unwilling to lower an owner’s annexation costs by relaxing city code enforcement on their property.
So annexation is seen by many county residents as being a threat to their financial wellbeing, to their ability to earn a living and to their quality of life. If Eastern Shore cities want to expand for whatever reason – say to broaden their tax base or to protect against unwanted development (think Wal-Mart and Fairhope) or to accommodate developers – they need to consider how to protect current county residents who will be affected by annexation. This observation considers both ethics (people should be treated fairly and their concerns respected) and practicality (you need their votes to annex).
And how do I propose to implement this principled and pragmatic approach to annexation? Simple: Continue the application of all present laws and ordinances affecting the use and condition of property in the annexed area – and leave these current governing documents in force for as long as the current owner retains possession. This isn’t going to make everyone happy, but it serves the objectives of the cities while leaving people pretty much alone – the way government should work and a win-win solution.
Contact Pete Gleszer at jubilee@lagniappemobile.com.
Archives
Jubilee
