A request for discovery in the city’s annexation case in chancery court led Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene on “one more attempt” Tuesday to get his colleagues to drop the effort altogether.
Before Greene’s try expectedly failed by a 4-2 vote at the city council meeting in the Municipal Complex, he hinted even that result wouldn’t be for nothing.
“We’ll go on record as to who is for trying to take this forward for a lawsuit that I got a feeling we’re going to lose,” he said.
Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones, a supporter of the proposed annexation, told The Dispatch on Wednesday there might be a path for him to change his mind.
Columbus Fire and Rescue responds to fires and medical emergencies in the proposed new territory south and east of the current borders, and Jones sees that as a possible bargaining chip for halting the city’s annexation effort that Lowndes County is challenging in court.
“The whole thing about it to me is just being fair,” Jones said. “If the county wants to keep (the area) and they want to try to work out some way to reimburse us for the fire department (responses) … I would be open to that.”
Chief Duane Hughes told The Dispatch that CFR responds to that area through a mutual aid agreement with the county’s District 3 Volunteer Fire Department. Numbers Hughes provided The Dispatch show CFR responded to nine mutual aid calls in the territory proposed for annexation in 2023, and three so far this year.
That agreement is reciprocal, as both departments assist each other with manpower and equipment upon request, though no money changes hands, Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston said Wednesday.
“I’d think a mutual aid agreement would be sufficient,” Hairston said. “… (The fire departments) have a good relationship. I’d hate for politics to mess that up.”
Still, if Jones and others on the council are serious about discussing a deal there, Hairston said he is “all ears.”
“It would certainly be something the board would look at with some consideration,” he said. “… Any proposals with reasonable minds, (we) could get together and see what that looks like.”
Rising costs
The city council voted in March, by the same 4-2 margin (Greene and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco opposed), to pursue annexing two areas east of the current city limits. The first 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 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.
It would add almost 2,000 citizens to the city’s population, with 91% Black, 7% white and 2% categorized as “other.”
Lowndes County Board of Supervisors hired an attorney to oppose the annexation on behalf of residents in the affected area, a case now before Chancery Judge Rodney Faver. A trial date for spring should be set at a hearing Nov. 20.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Greene noted the city had already spent about $50,000 on the annexation and the county’s attorney had requested “60-something reports” for discovery, something he fears will “tie up all of our division heads.”
“We’re fixing to get into real money,” Greene added.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage originally estimated the annexation effort would cost the city roughly $80,000. On Wednesday, at a press conference in City Hall, he said that estimate is “probably out the window” since it was based on there being no opposition. He did not update his estimate more specifically.
The discovery the city must provide the county includes old contracts, any judgments rendered against the city over the past 10 years, budgets, audits and other documents, Turnage said.
“It’s a whole big ol’ long list,” Turnage said, adding he and Jackson-based attorney Chad Mask, who is representing the city, would compile most of the documents. “I don’t think it’s going to be a terrible burden on anybody (else) other than those who are employed at City Hall.”
Mayor Keith Gaskin believes the city is “wasting money.”
“I don’t think it’s hard to come to that conclusion when you look at the areas we’re trying to annex,” he said during the press conference.
Gaskin pointed to data the Golden Triangle Development LINK provided the city that shows annexing those areas would raise the city’s poverty rate and lower the median home value, among other negative metrics.
“There’s not a lot of area there for development,” he said. “It’s not going to bring up your tax base really.”
Further, he said, a majority of people living there don’t want to be annexed, and some areas inside the existing city limits need better services.
“Not only is it costing the city, but now that the county supervisors to work with (county) citizens to try to stop it, it’s costing taxpayers twice,” Gaskin said.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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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.
