Comments on: Decatur Preps for Large-Scale Annexation As Creation of North DeKalb Cities Looms

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 22:11:19 +0000

The annexation of commercial owners IS a grab for revenue! Plain and simple. Every city wants commercial for the tax base. Hardly any want residential areas, because they do not pay the cost of services! I have been involved in fighting an attempted annexation. We were successful, but the potential targets have to win every time and the city only has to win once. I own several commercial properties in unincorporated DeKalb. I have NO problems with DeKalb county or the administration of land use. The status quo is fine with me.

However, if several cities want my property, I know the criteria I will use for annexation. First, zoning and land use issues are paramount. Next, administration of codes (read meddling with longtime uses to make it difficult to continue). Third, taxes, taxes, taxes. Exactly, what do these cities want from me and what does it cost? In general, I oppose new cities. Reasoning is that it is another layer of government that intrudes and must be fed.

I have said before, I know why you want me! I need to decide why I want you!

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 18:46:46 +0000

Didn’t Avondale annex the commercial properties along College Avenue without any say-so from the owners?

By: Herman Lorenz

Herman Lorenz — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 17:17:23 +0000

Steve: A city can annex a contiguous commercial property individually if the owner of the property requests it (see recent events at Century Center), with no referendum. There are some additional provisions that allow for groups of commercial property to be annexed if there’s a majority who want it, and the “no votes” would be islands. If there are residences involved, typically it requires a referendum.

Neither Decatur nor Avondale Estates has had any success getting businesses to petition to annex to the city. So the only way for the city to grab them is by legislative fiat. Ain’t gonna happen.

The state legislature can do whatever they want in an individual situation. However, this legislature has said that they don’t want to play god. Let the people/businesses decide for themselves where they want to be.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 15:45:09 +0000

A referendum is required by state law for residents; it is not required for commercial property. The previous discussion a few years back on Decatur annexation included a residential referendum.

By: Herman Lorenz

Herman Lorenz — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 15:38:07 +0000

Part of the issue with the Decatur and Avondale annexation efforts is that they want to do it without a referendum. They want the legislature to give it to them. Both cities know that when they have asked people, they get turned down.

If you want to annex someone who’s currently not in the city, it’s not relevant what the people in the city think; it’s relevant what the people (the targets) outside the city want. If they don’t want to be part of Decatur or Avondale, the issue should be closed.

To paraphrase Rep Buzz Brockway: “The legislature should not be in the business of deciding whether someone should be added to a city; it’s up to those people whether they want to be in.”