As the city moves forward with annexation plans, business and home owners are settling in for a legal battle that could take years to resolve.
The Columbus City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to file its plan to annex four areas in Lowndes County Chancery Court, which settles disputes involving equity, among other civil cases.
The largest area proposed for annexation is along Lehmberg Road from Hobbes Sheffield Road south to Yorkville Road East.
The plan would also bring the Riverwalk into the city limits, as well as the recently built Columbus Middle School at the corner of highways 45 and 373 and part of Woodland Heights Drive, which is east off of Highway 45 North.
The annexation would add about 1,462 residents, 638 homes and 44 businesses — in tax terms, that”s 615 parcels with a total value of $64.4 million.
For the city, that will translate into about $277,859 in annual net revenue after $187,742 in upkeep, said David Armstrong, the city”s chief operations officer.
But the annexation isn”t such good news for businesses like Columbus Nissan, which would see a nearly 30-percent increase in its taxes.
County Tax Assessor Greg Andrews said that if a $2 million business was brought into the city, its property taxes would go from $25,836 to $37,125 — that”s a $11,289 increase.
On the residential side, taxes on a $100,000 house would go up $372.50, from $565 to $937.50. And owners of a $200,000 house are looking at a $753 increase, from $1,422 to $2,175.
School districts will remain the same, so no new taxes will be added for those, Andrews said.
Brenda Ferguson, who lives on Deerfield Drive off North Lehmberg Road, said she doesn”t like the plan and will be objecting.
“I don”t want to be in the city limits,” she said. “We really don”t like (the annexation plan).”
Joseph Johnson, a World War II veteran, who lives at 406 N. Lehmberg Road, moved to Columbus from Salt Lake City, for a job at Columbus Air Force Base.
“We came to the country, but the city has come to us,” Johnson said. “We knew that was going to happen eventually. A lot of people don”t like it, but it has to grow. You can”t put a lid on Columbus; it needs to grow.”
Nissan Manager Russell Street said he had already been contacted by other business owners about protesting the annexation, which didn”t have “any benefit” for the dealership.
“Financially, it would almost be better for us to spend money objecting just to delay the annexation,” he said.
The dealership had been annexed once before at its old location on Gardner Boulevard, Street said.
That experience, he continued, was a bad one. The city took months to extend its sewer system to cover the annexed area.
“We realize the city has to annex to grow, but it seems (in this case) the city just wants money,” he said.
That”s part of it, according to city councilmen, but they also want the bump in population to attract new businesses, some said.
Although Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem voted for the annexation, he said Columbus police officers were already faced with an “uncontrollable element of crime.”
Whether police can properly patrol the area planned for annexation is something that”s “really going to have to be addressed,” he said.
But Police Chief Joseph St. John said a new grant would cover the salaries of the extra officers needed to cover the areas.
“That”s not going to be a problem,” St. John said.
You can help your community
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.
You can help your community
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.
READER FAVORITES
Related Photos
Columbus Nissan is one of dozens of businesses the city is planning to annex, increasing their taxes. Photo by: Kelly Tippett
