Dear Editor,
The city of Columbia leadership says there will be no new or raised taxes on its current citizens, landowners and businesses as a result of the new citizens, businesses and land it is attempting to annex and will be responsible for providing services for. Immediate services to potential annexed area include police protection, fire protection, road maintenance and repair, and garbage for what is primarily densely populated areas. The city, by its own admission, allegedly doesn’t have the revenue to currently provide those services and others adequately to its current citizens and businesses, making annexation necessary. How will the city’s future performance be significantly improved over its past performance in providing services through annexation and expansion?
How does the city expect to provide those immediate new services to a greater area at a degree of better quality without increased facilities, equipment and manpower without raising taxes? Remember, the newly annexed tax base will not only be expected to sufficiently fund their services newly provided by the city, but to fill the shortfall gap as it currently exists for the current city. Any new or raised taxes will apply to every Columbia citizen, business and landowner across the board to meet these needs.
At some point sewage and water are services that will have to be expanded to those new areas, though the city fails to provide any firm time-line as to when. We are talking many millions in expenditures. Again, any new or raised taxes will apply to every Columbia citizen, business and landowner to meet these needs. What are the projected costs to expand, provide and improve these services for all now in and to be included in the city? What evidence does the city proffer that annexation and expansion of its obligation/expenditures will curve the current alleged negative population and economic decline and instead produce economic and population gain for the taxed base? How is annexation going to make the city a thriving economic hub again? Will this expansion grow us in that direction or simply slow down or delay our inevitable decline?
If the city’s interest is residential development, why is it annexing existing fully developed residential areas rather than taking advantage of undeveloped property within the city limits? If the city’s interest is commercial development, same question with the addition of the fact it just received 80 acres of undeveloped property in a prime location off Highway 98? What incentives other than increased tax obligations/burdens is the city offering to those ends to promote growth?
To what extent will annexation, if approved, impact and change the country, suburban lifestyle currently enjoyed by those being annexed? Is not that change combined with the increased tax burden exactly why the city faced certain influential opposition, which managed to mysteriously get themselves drawn out of and removed from the original proposed annexation? What will happen to the property values and fire ratings for the newly annexed citizens?
What will be the impact and change in the makeup of the voting districts for elected city positions? What will be impact on the minority vote in the changed districts? Is the city ready for a full scale constitutional review on this subject? Every current Columbia citizen, business and landowner has as much as interest and should be equally concerned as every potential new citizen, landowner and business. Everyone within those categories has a legal right to be involved in this annexation process and express their reviews and concerns.
WE THE PEOPLE: Get involved now, act now, demand these questions be answered now, or be prepared to be ruled over later!
Dear Editor,
The city of Columbia leadership says there will be no new or raised taxes on its current citizens, landowners and businesses as a result of the new citizens, businesses and land it is attempting to annex and will be responsible for providing services for. Immediate services to potential annexed area include police protection, fire protection, road maintenance and repair, and garbage for what is primarily densely populated areas. The city, by its own admission, allegedly doesn’t have the revenue to currently provide those services and others adequately to its current citizens and businesses, making annexation necessary. How will the city’s future performance be significantly improved over its past performance in providing services through annexation and expansion?
How does the city expect to provide those immediate new services to a greater area at a degree of better quality without increased facilities, equipment and manpower without raising taxes? Remember, the newly annexed tax base will not only be expected to sufficiently fund their services newly provided by the city, but to fill the shortfall gap as it currently exists for the current city. Any new or raised taxes will apply to every Columbia citizen, business and landowner across the board to meet these needs.
At some point sewage and water are services that will have to be expanded to those new areas, though the city fails to provide any firm time-line as to when. We are talking many millions in expenditures. Again, any new or raised taxes will apply to every Columbia citizen, business and landowner to meet these needs. What are the projected costs to expand, provide and improve these services for all now in and to be included in the city? What evidence does the city proffer that annexation and expansion of its obligation/expenditures will curve the current alleged negative population and economic decline and instead produce economic and population gain for the taxed base? How is annexation going to make the city a thriving economic hub again? Will this expansion grow us in that direction or simply slow down or delay our inevitable decline?
If the city’s interest is residential development, why is it annexing existing fully developed residential areas rather than taking advantage of undeveloped property within the city limits? If the city’s interest is commercial development, same question with the addition of the fact it just received 80 acres of undeveloped property in a prime location off Highway 98? What incentives other than increased tax obligations/burdens is the city offering to those ends to promote growth?
To what extent will annexation, if approved, impact and change the country, suburban lifestyle currently enjoyed by those being annexed? Is not that change combined with the increased tax burden exactly why the city faced certain influential opposition, which managed to mysteriously get themselves drawn out of and removed from the original proposed annexation? What will happen to the property values and fire ratings for the newly annexed citizens?
What will be the impact and change in the makeup of the voting districts for elected city positions? What will be impact on the minority vote in the changed districts? Is the city ready for a full scale constitutional review on this subject? Every current Columbia citizen, business and landowner has as much as interest and should be equally concerned as every potential new citizen, landowner and business. Everyone within those categories has a legal right to be involved in this annexation process and express their reviews and concerns.
WE THE PEOPLE: Get involved now, act now, demand these questions be answered now, or be prepared to be ruled over later!
Joseph L. Turney
Main Street business owner and attorney
Editor's Note: Turney is representing residents in the proposed annexation area.
Main Street business owner and attorney
Editor's Note: Turney is representing residents in the
proposed annexation area.
