Columbus City Council overturned Mayor Keith Gaskin’s veto of its annexation ordinance at a Tuesday morning special-call meeting, once again fracturing on a 4-2 vote.
The meeting was confrontational at times, with the mayor and council members sparring verbally over the motivations for annexation and how it would hurt the city in the long term.
Gaskin vetoed the council’s March 5 annexation ordinance, which would absorb two areas. The first borders Ward 2 and Ward 3, and is bounded by Highway 82 in the north, Armstrong Road to the east, Lehmberg Road to the west and Deerfield Drive to the south.
The second is adjacent to Ward 1 and Ward 2. It is bounded by South Lehmberg Road on the east, the area adjacent to Scott Drive to the south, Hargrove Road to the west and Vernon Branch Creek to the north.
Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart, Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens, Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones all supported the annexation measure March 5, while Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco voted no.
The mayor vetoed the vote Friday, but the council overturned it with exactly the same vote.
Gaskin began by explaining his reasons for issuing the veto in the first place, starting with the city’s financial struggles over the past several years and segueing into the hit the city’s economic demographics will take if it proceeds with annexation.
“Is it about the residents being Black, or is it about them being low income?” Jones asked.
“It’s about the financial picture for the city,” shot back DiCicco. “Why would the city knowingly go in the hole? According to the consultant, it would cost something like $220,000 to start with. … I look at numbers, and financially this is not a sound decision.”
Chief Financial Officer James Brigham said the city would potentially have to add another mill of ad valorem taxation to fund the annexation, based on the numbers he has now.
Jones disputed that, citing comments consultant Chris Watson of the Bridge and Watson firm made at a town hall last month that those costs would come down.
Brigham said he had to go with the figures in front of him, and as it currently stands it would cost around an additional mill to pay for the annexation.
Gaskin accused Mickens and Jones — who started the annexation discussion two years ago — of changing their story as to why they wanted to bring in these two areas.
“Y’all were very much talking about economic development and growth of the city,” Gaskin said. “When you saw the evidence did not back up your rhetoric, you changed it to now we are coming in to help the needy. We have citizens in our own city limits who are underserved.”
According to economic demographic information compiled by the Golden Triangle Development LINK, the annexation would drive down median household income, per capita income, median disposable income and median net worth, while increasing the poverty rate.
Olive Garden or Red Lobster?
Annexation will increase taxes on those less fortunate citizens, Gaskin charged, and will interfere in the city’s ability to serve its constituents.
Greene picked up that theme, pressing Mickens and Jones on their motivations.
“How are we going to help them?” Greene asked. “Is it giving them a sewer line? They already have fire protection. They’re across the street from the fire department.”
Columbus Fire and Rescue has a station on Lehmberg Road, which is across from one of the areas under consideration for annexation. Due to mutual aid agreements with Lowndes County, CFR responds when needed into that area.
“You’re just looking at one area,” Mickens said. “It’s not going to just affect (the annexed citizens). It affects everyone. It affects people on Highway 45. We said we wanted to increase our numbers so we could start getting restaurants like Olive Garden or Red Lobster.”
Stewart moved to call for the question — a parliamentary maneuver that cuts off debate — and was seconded by Mickens. The vote failed 3-3, with Stewart, Mickens and Jones voting to cut off debate and Greene, Beard and DiCicco voting no. Gaskin broke the tie with a no vote, allowing debate to continue.
Greene argued the city had nothing to offer residents in the proposed area.
“Here’s how we’re helping you: we’re going to raise your taxes, we’re going to raise your car tag, we’re going to raise your rent,” Greene said. “This body, if they choose to do it, is using you. They need voters.”
“Where are you getting that from?” Mickens interjected. “You’re making all these allegations. What are you basing that on?”
“It doesn’t make any economic sense,” Greene said. “It doesn’t make any sense to anyone looking at this. It is not a wise decision.”
“So now you’re saying we’re stupid,” Mickens said, and he and Greene began shouting over each other until Gaskin gaveled them down.
Beard said he could see both sides, but he personally continued to support annexation.
“I see people who don’t want it, and I understand why they don’t want it,” Beard said. “But I also see the people who do want it. I wish you guys the best, but I think it should just go on to the court. The bickering we’re up here doing, that’s not going to do anything but make us not work better.”
Mickens moved, with a second by Stewart, to override Gaskin’s veto. The motion passed 4-2, with Stewart, Mickens, Beard and Jones voting yes and Greene and DiCicco voting no.
Michael Lewis, who created the Lowndes County Residents Against Annexation Facebook group, told The Dispatch after the meeting he and other residents were going to keep up the fight.
“We’re going to protest this every step of the way,” Lewis said. “We’re not going away. We’re just going to get louder.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
