Until a few months ago, Michael Lewis never imagined himself as a political activist.

The 24-year-old, like a lot of young people, had other interests occupying his time and attention, like raising his 2-year-old daughter with his girlfriend, target shooting on his 10-acre property off Lehmberg Road and his job as an employee of a national security firm.

“I’m the type of person that is sick and tired of politics,” Lewis said. “I’ve always been the type that just kept up with national politics on Facebook and I never had a reason to keep up with local politics. I think that’s the way it is for a lot of younger people.”

While activism is not in his nature, it may be in his blood, though.

His father, Roy, played that role after moving into a senior care facility.

“He was the one who was always active in trying to get better care and better conditions for the residents,” Lewis said. “Maybe I got a little of that from him.”

That all changed in December, when word began to trickle out that the city of Columbus was targeting three areas outside the city limits for annexation. One of those areas included Lewis’ lifelong home.

“Up until then I had no reason to worry about what was going on in the city. I don’t have any family or friends in the city. But all of the sudden, we are hearing we’re going to be annexed. Nobody in this community even knew that they were even being looked at for annexation.”

Unlike most residents, Lewis had gotten wind of the city’s interest in annexation last summer. In June, he created a page on Facebook called “Lowndes County Residents Against Annexation” to rally opposition to the annexation.

Ultimately, the council voted to proceed with annexation at two of the three original sites — areas south and east of the current city limits. The third potential annexation area, which includes Columbus Air Force Base, was abandoned.

Lewis has emerged as the voice of the anti-annexation contingent.

“It’s a big deal for a lot of people who live here,” Lewis said. “There are some people with money in these areas, but most people are just getting by. They’re hearing about their rents going up because the property owners are going to have to start paying city taxes. Even a little increase in rent is a big deal for a lot of people. For other people who like to target shoot and hunt and do what they want on their own property, it’s a lifestyle that is being taken away. They’re going to take us in and tax us to do it. It pissed me off. That’s why I started reaching out to people to let them know. As a community, we can’t just sit back and take it. We’ve got to start holding these people accountable.”

Lewis said he is inspired by the way the community has responded to his activism. Another benefit, he said, was getting to know people in his community and beyond.

“At first, I was kind of afraid of what would happen,” Lewis said. “I was always the kind of person who kept his opinions to himself because I’ve seen politics ruin friendships and families. But I’ve met so many people. As I was collecting signatures for a petition, they saw me standing up and they welcomed me into their homes, wanting me to eat with them. My contact list is just unbelievable now.”

No matter how the battle ends, Lewis said, he’s glad he stepped forward to play an active role in the process.

“I don’t know if we’re going to be successful,” Lewis said. “That’s for the judge to decide. But until then, I’m trying to get as many people as possible on board to oppose this. It doesn’t hurt to try. So if we don’t succeed, I can say I did everything I could do.”

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].

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