Opposition is mounting in response to the push by Columbus City Council to annex two sections of territory on its eastern borders.
During an executive session at last week’s Columbus City Council meeting, the council voted 4-2 to approve moving forward with an annexation proposal that will be drafted by the Carroll, Warren and Parker PLLC law firm of Jackson.
A page on Facebook called “Lowndes County Residents Against Annexation” subsequently sounded an alarm and is rallying voices against the proposal. Established in June, the page has made several posts in the last few days warning of fewer liberties and higher taxes if annexation is approved.
Voting in favor of the motion were Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart, Ward 2 Councilman and Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens, Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones. Opposed were Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene and Ward 6 Councilman Jacqueline DiCicco.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage said Thursday the timeline for the council voting on an annexation ordinance and submitting it to Lowndes Chancery Court for final approval is unclear. He said surveyors will be preparing legal descriptions of exactly how the city intends to incorporate these two areas, a requirement of the ordinance.
Mayor Keith Gaskin said he would like to hold public hearings to address concerns as soon as possible.
“I think we should look at doing those as soon as possible to make sure that the citizens have all the information about annexation,” he said. “It’s a complicated process. It can be a lengthy process. There are areas of the state right now that have been looking at annexation areas for several years.”
Two areas in, one out
The first area, which borders Ward 2 and Ward 3, 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 area is adjacent to Ward 1 and Ward 2. It is bounded on the east by South Lehmberg Road, on the south by the area adjacent to Scott Drive, on the west by Hargrove Road and to the north around Vernon Branch Creek.
Both of these areas were originally suggested to be researched for potential annexation last year by Mickens and Jones.
Jones affirmed his support for annexation to The Dispatch on Thursday.
“If you look around Columbus, we’ve lost so many people,” he said. “We have a lot of vacant properties. Those properties used to have people in it. Those people have affected our numbers as far as the size of the city. We just want to add back those numbers so the city can continue to grow.”
He said the annexation of these two areas is “a way to add numbers without it really costing us anything.”
Mickens declined comment Thursday when contacted by The Dispatch.
Costs
A study prepared by the consulting firm Bridge and Watson projected annual revenue from these two areas to total $86,872, and $182,497, respectively, mostly from property taxes. Expenditures for each are projected at $224,539 and $266,745, respectively. Those would include additional police officers and equipment, along with an additional code enforcement officer.
A third area — the entirety of Columbus Air Force Base — was also under consideration, but was rejected for inclusion in the council’s motion.
Gaskin said the base was rejected due to the enormous expenditures related to annexation. Bridge and Watson’s study said annexing the air base would result in an expenditure of $544,348, as compared to projected annual tax revenue of $37,984.
Demographic changes
Accepting the two areas into Columbus will bring 1,824 residents. Citing 2020 Census data, Bridge and Watson’s study said 91% of these residents are Black, 7% are white and 2% – a total of 33 people – are categorized as other.
Of this population, 1,104, or 61%, were of voting age, the study said.
Opposition mounts
The Facebook page has an unidentified administrator but has made clear it does not agree with the move to annex the two areas.
“There’s a substantial amount of wooded area in these borders,” the page administrator said in a comment. “Many people like myself use such for harvesting food, shooting or having bonfires. If this annexation passes, all of this ceases and our rights and (liberties) will be tied down.”
The page has 179 likes and 286 followers.
Gaskin, while acknowledging the benefits of annexation, said he opposes it at this time. He would rather wait until the city has a strategic plan in place.
“I think it would be wise for the city to develop a specific and targeted annexation strategy that includes planning and discussions with the county officials and professionals employed by the LINK to ensure positive coordinated growth and effective transitions to incorporation,” Gaskin said in a text message.
Kevin Edwards is news editor and reports on Starkville and Oktibbeha County government.
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