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Anti-annexation meeting draws more than 100 |
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008 |
Residents of several areas pull together to fight plans
More than 100 people filled the arbor at Salem United Methodist Church to join forces against annexation.
Shirley Plant of the Salem community said even though the city of Benton has pulled the plug on its attempt to annex Salem, she and others of the community will help people of the Northlake area fight against annexation.
Benton City Council had approved an Aug. 12 special election on the annexation of areas north and west of Hurricane Lake Estates, which would have included the Northlake area and Salem community.
In response to objections from Salem community residents, the council last week voted to cancel the planned special election. The council, however, approved an ordinance calling for an Oct. 14 election to annex the Northlake area into the city.
The city already has plans in the works to build a water tower in the area to better serve the water/fire needs of Hurricane Lake Estates residents and surrounding residents already part of the city.
The area targeted for annexation is the same property Bryant proposes to annex in a Sept. 9 election. Bryant also seeks to annex the areas of Springhill, Midland/Hilldale and Wilkerson/Airport.
The meeting Saturday was to rally everybody in attendance to go out door to door and encourage people to vote “No” in the Sept. 9 election.
Plant noted that people may have noticed signs have been removed. “We haven’t abandoned you. We just took them down so we can change the label so you can have signs for your area,” she said. “You’re not alone. “
She said the key is to have officials in both Bryant and Benton to see the issues from “your perspective. ... I can’t say we will beat them but we can.
At one point in the meeting, two hats went around to collect monetary donations for costs attributed to advocating no annexation. People readily had dollars in hand to drop in the hats.
Although the meeting was held primarily to discuss the Bryant proposal, Benton Mayor Rick Holland attended and spoke at the podium, answering numerous questions about Benton’s intentions.
Concerning the island annexation, which includes the Northshore Drive area and major industries such as Almatis, Holland said a letter will be presented Monday night to Bryant City Council outlining what Benton is willing to do. Officials have had to change focus following disagreements between the cities and the industries’ worry that becoming part of Benton would have a negative impact on their business and job force.
Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, acting in his capacity with the Saline County Economic Development Corp., and Eddie Black, president of the SCEDC, will present the letter to Bryant City Council. The SCEDC was asked by the Benton City Council Economic Development Committee to act as a mediator between the city and the industries.
Holland said he can’t speak for his 10 councilmen, but if the annexation proposals on the special election ballots fail, he’d like to see everything “go back to voluntary annexation. With the Salem annexation, we bit off more than we can chew.”
Dee Fiser, who lives on Sample Road, said annexation is about power. Benton keeps growing and to pay for the wastewater improvements, the city has to expand its customer base, Fizer suggested.
“I don’t think any city can offer sewer to us. They could do a better job of encouraging retail.”
Fiser said he’s voting against annexation because “with the overhead both cities have on improving sewer, they can’t keep up or maintain the status quo. Someday it may evolve to that, but we’re not there yet.”
Other resounding messages from people who spoke encouraged the county residents to be “diplomatic, active and heard.”
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