The sudden emergence of a proposal for Columbus to pursue annexation of two areas east of the city limits calls to mind a bit of wisdom that dates back to the 17th Century: Act in haste, repent at leisure.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, a motion to hire a firm to do a study on the planned annexation was tabled, but it took Mayor Keith Gaskin’s tie-breaking vote to do it.
The idea of annexing the area emerged unexpectedly a month ago when Ward 2 councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 5 councilman Stephen Jones brought Toby Sanford of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District to a council work session to discuss the plan. On Tuesday, Sanford presented a proposal for an annexation study (at a cost of $40,000) and redistricting ($12,000) that would have to be done as a result of the annexation.
Council members, particularly Ward 4 councilman Pierre Beard, had many questions for Sanford, most of which were preemptive and would be answered by the study itself.
While the areas of possible annexation are good candidates for bringing into the city on the surface, this entire process has been poorly planned. Annexation is complicated and can be expensive, and a more systematic approach is necessary if the city is serious about pursuing the process.
Generally, when cities consider annexation one of the most important calculations to consider is the costs vs. benefits, both to the city and those living in the areas under consideration.
The costs to the city can be high — water/sewer/street infrastructure and maintenance and city services, including police and fire. The cities rely on property taxes to cover those costs. If those taxes aren’t sufficient, the cities are forced to raise taxes for everyone or reduce services.
What we do know of the areas under consideration is that property values are low, which makes the margins smaller. For some time, there has been talk of annexing areas to the north of the city where property values are higher.
The obvious question: Are the proposed areas going to give the city of Columbus the most bang for its buck?
If annexation is a serious consideration for the city, they should commission a study that considers what areas adjacent to the current city limits make the most sense to consider. Only then will councilmen be armed with the information to make an informed decision.
The timing of this move is also worth considering.
Even in the best of circumstances, annexation is a long, costly, complex and sometimes controversial process.
Our concern right now is not that city leaders are not getting the right answers. It’s that they are not asking the right questions.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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