Comments on: Decatur City Manager Answers Your Annexation Questions

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:14:41 +0000

I don’t think the current map has been “thought through” yet. I think, like you and I, everyone’s waiting on the fiscal data before making a decision. I think that’s where the potential misunderstanding is occurring. I’m following up with CSD about their “all or nothing” statement.

By: Judd

Judd — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:40:54 +0000

What did we hear from the mayor? I’ve heard (in August) that all the areas must be considered together and can’t be broken up; and as reported by DM that he gave no directive to CSD. Those statements don’t contradict one another. The question that’s come up here is whether the areas can be split up. The last official word from the mayor is no they can’t, but things change so maybe his view on this has changed. It’s a good question.

The CSD committee, understand, is ongoing. It’s work isn’t finished. It was given a map by the City and told that the areas for political reasons couldn’t be split up and it’s first order of business was assessing that map, and you’re starting to see the results of that initial work. At the same time, the City has been soliciting petitions with a deadline with a deadline in November, so I don’t think anyone is expecting the current map is set in stone. But there’s also a reasonable expectation that this map was thought through before it was proposed and that the changes wouldn’t be radical. But who knows? Again, it’s a good question, and we should have a clear answer.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 10:39:49 +0000

I asked for clarification on what the charge was because, on the CSD blog, KC Boyce indicated that he was under the impression that the commission would be cherry-picking specific annexation areas based on all this performance research (rather than pursuing/rejecting all areas together) and the response from the moderator was that the Mayor had said it was “all or nothing.” That seemed to imply that CSD was only looking at an all-or-nothing scenario, which would not provide the data necessary if KC’s assumption was the correct one.

We’ve heard from the Mayor. If CSD has not been provided a charge of any kind (I thought the city and schools were coordinating on this in some way), it would be helpful to hear (or be pointed to) the scope of what the task force has been asked to prepare.

By: smalltowngal

smalltowngal — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 01:00:01 +0000

“vote on all of it together” — If I only heard that, I would assume it meant the commission would vote on all of the proposed areas at the same time, i.e., not make a decision on some and leave others in the wind. I would not think it meant “all yes or all no” — the different areas have different issues (pro and con) and are being explored for a variety of reasons.

By: Judd

Judd — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:44:45 +0000

I’ve never heard anything about a directive. That’s not what either DawgFan or the CSD blog says. Was that the way you posed the question or the way he answered it? Odd. Where did this stuff about a “specific charge” come from, Scott? CSD took this upon themselves.

I assume the point made on the CSD blog is coming from the Mayor’s comments at the August work session. The question came up about annexing some areas and not others and the Mayor said quite plainly that for political and other reasons I can’t recall, the commission was going to have to vote on all of it together. The question is whether that remains the case.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:52:49 +0000

The mayor flatly denies that he gave an “all or nothing” directive to CSD. I’ll follow up with CSD to clarify the “specific charge”.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:46:28 +0000

I guess either from the Mayor to clarify the referenced remark or from CSD as to what their specific charge was.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:30:03 +0000

Clarification from whom? City of CSD?