Annexation Throwdown: Part IV
Decatur Metro | December 17, 2008The back and forth annexation discussion between Decatur and Avondale – which I’ve been terming an “annexation throwdown” for ages in an attempt at self-amusement – continues.
Ever concerned about Decatur’s annexation plans along E College (NOT Ponce de Leon AJC!…oy vey!), Avondale Estates’ mayor tells the AJC that if Decatur annexes along the corridor, Avondale must also. The gentlemen’s agreement would be to meet at Sam’s Crossing.
Of course, lots of the business owners along that strip don’t want any part of either city, unable to look past the tax increase to other benefits. But majority commercial annexations don’t need to be voted on by those affected, so all these businesses can do is alert their local legislator of their position.
I have a feeling that this might be the one area that Decatur’s city commission is concerned about annexing now. If left in the hands o’ the county, it could soon be Avondale all the way up to the current eastern Decatur line.
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DM: I agree that this does seem to be a sign that the Dec city commission is still actively considering some annexation option. But are they still considering any of the annexation laid out by the most recent Annexation Report? That report is from 11/17, which now seems an eternity ago. It’s clearly out of date in important ways.
Would the commission dream of voting to move forward on an option that has neither been put before the city in any formal way nor put before the schools to formally express an opinion on? (ANd putting something out a week or two prior wouldn’t suffice either.)
I for one am still left very unclear as to why the vote was delayed. What questions are big enough to delay the vote, but small enough to be settled even amongst themselves, let alone publicly as needs to be the case, in a month (over the holidays)?
I’m with ya Judd. I feel like a map revision is in order. Something that includes almost all commercial. But as you stated…would they really vote on an option in January that no one had ever seen? I’m thinking no.
So maybe they’ll just go after Zone 3?
But I still wouldn’t want to make a decision without revised Rosser data. Maybe they were just looking for an excuse to move the meeting off the same date as 315. That went til midnight. If annexation was also on the agenda, they literally would have been there til sun up!
Perhaps they would like to limit it to area 3 (or a part of area 3 — say, west of Arcardia/DeKalb Ind). But annexing only area 3 wasn’t an option in the City’s report. We don’t have data for that area alone: Revenue, population (2000 data would be most out of date for that area), school age children. That area is also most ripe for development. Let’s break down and hear exactly what the city is thinking about developing that area. THat’s a report worth producing. But not the work of a month, including public review.
“Of course, lots of the business owners along that strip want any part of either city, unable to look past the tax increase to other benefits.”
Why do you assume this is the case, as opposed to these folks having carefully considered both sides of this balance sheet, and concluding that the services are not worth the price?
Because I’m a jerk.
Oh…and I was responding to this part of the article…
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a land grab,” said Mike Easterwood, who owns two buildings on seven acres of land that Avondale is eyeing for annexation. “It’s a benefit to the city, but no benefit to me.”
That doesn’t sound like there was much of a balance sheet.
All the annexation stuff is a mess…
I don’t like the idea of the city of Decatur annexing commercial property blocks from my house, but leaving the neighborhood out of it because they don’t want to provide services. If they take any commercial property the right thing to do would be to take the adjoining residential rather than leaving us in no man’s land (Decatur north and west, Avondale east).
Also, they need to take into consideration where school boundaries are before annexing. The school my house is assigned to was actually in a different annexation area, so it could potentially have been added to city of Decatur schools, causing kids in my neighborhood to be bused much further.
DM that guys was talking about being annexed by Avondale, not Decatur. I’ve always heard that Avondale taxes are very high and you do, in fact, get next to nothing for it. But I don’t really know the deal over there, other than that they seem very intent on keeping non-residents out of their park.
Crazy joe.. just because Decatur annexes an area with a school does not mean that the school automatically becomes part of Decatur. The City (note the city, not the school system would have to buy it) would have to buy the school from DCSS. Apparently the price tag on Forrest Hills Elementary is around $14 million – clearly ,… they are not interested in selling.
Why, you ask, does the city have to buy property for the school system? Well, because Decatur is the only school system in GA where they do not own their own property. The City owns it and leases it to the school system. However, the city requires the school system to pay for all of the services related to it… even though the city owns the property… The whole thing is a rip off.
Hey, Stephen. Can you elaborate on this arrangement? It sounds the same as renting a house and being responsible for your own utilities and yard maintenance. What services outside of these norms is CSD required to pay?
Steven, it is my understanding by talking to a member of the CSD school board member, that the cost to buy the school is much less than $14,000,000. I can’t remember the exact figure, but I think they want eight or 9 million which is still too much money for that school in this economy. Within the last ten or so years, a new addition has been added to it, plus a gym.
Yeah…what’s the reason behind the Decatur school system standing alone in not owning its own property?