Kingsport, TN Annexations
A hot topic in the Kingsport, TN area is annexations. Kingsport’s efforts to annex areas that are part of their Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) has hit a nerve with local Sullivan County homeowners. Annexation is an emotional issue that divides neighborhoods and causes ill feelings towards the City.
Kingsport wants to grow and I guess the underlying factor is simply that they want or badly need the revenue that will come from newly annexed areas. I have been told by the City of Kingsport, that annexation is not a moneymaker for the city. With them making a statement like that, they must have felt that I just fell off of the turnip truck. It does not take a lot of smarts to figure out they will go to great expense/debt to annex new areas to get new revenues. I guess that they go to all this trouble because they are good guys.
Many homeowners chose to live in the County and really get upset at the thought of “forced annexations” which will bring higher taxes, utility hookup fees, etc. Many homeowners are perfectly happy with the services that the County provides such as police, snow removal, and upkeep of roads.
Tennessee is one of a few remaining states that have “forced annexation”. The Tennessee “Growth Policy, Annexation and Incorporation Act under Public Chapter 1101 of 1998″ gives the Cities the authority to annex using any statutory method to annex property within its UGB, including annexation by ordinance and referendum. Additional information can be found in the following link “Annexation Handbook for Cities and Towns“.
The decision to annex a given area is up to the City and you have an avenue to voice you opinion through Public Hearings. If you disagree with Kingsport’s annexations goals, then you have the power of your vote in local elections to elect BMA members that reflect more of your views. By the same token, do not forget the State elections, because it is the State that gave the Cities the authority to annex.
Recent Comments