Rock Springs Annexation by Kingsport
Below is written by a Rock Springs homeowner who originally posted here.
18 years ago I built my house, outside of the city. If I had wanted to live in the city, I would have built in the city. Kingsport Government is out of control. They annex purely to increase their tax base, not based on the need of the county citizens. Do you wonder why they built a city school that is several miles out in the county, several miles past Rock Springs Elementary and South High School? Why not annex Bloomingdale or other similar areas that are physically closer to the main part of the city? Tax base! Kingsport City Government is just like the Federal Government in that they are out of touch with what the citizens want and just want more money to spend, spend, spend! I have talked to a lot of people in the Rock Springs annexation area. I have not met even ONE that wants to be annexed! Ten out of 218 want annexed. What happed to majority rules? What happed to democracy? It’s not what the people want, it is what “the big wheels” in Kingsport want to maintain their funding and to provide the developers they are in bed with.
What will I get for my extra taxes? They have already lied about what they would provide. In a meeting held by the city at an area church (I think it was late summer, 2007) they said they would immediately address the condition of Rock Springs Road. They said the shoulders did not meet standards for the city and were unsafe. About two weeks after the meeting, a crew dropped off a large piece of drain culvert near the old Superette area. I thought, well maybe there will be some good come from annexation. The culvert sat there for months, no action. Then they started running sewer lines and the heavy equipment chewed up and crumbled the edge of the road in a few places where there was no shoulder to start with. The road was even more dangerous for many months. They finally came and patched the areas they damaged and where they cut across the road. Still, no shoulder work, or other repairs. The road is in worse condition than it was two years ago. They are going to have to bus kids out to fill up the new school. Parents, you might want to drive the narrow road that will soon have lots of morning and afternoon traffic. I hope one of these busses never ends up in the creek. I have seen more than one car over the bank and in the creek. Kingsport leaders, if you are going to build a school way out in the county, get your heads out of your asses and fix the road. Read this too. It’s not just me!
What else will I get for my taxes? Trash pickup which will save me about $245 per year. Reduced water rate? Not exactly, yes the water rate goes down, but now there is a sewer charge to pay. I compared my water rates with my parent’s rates who are in the city. No savings I can see, just a different way to bill you. Not to mention the $2000 tap on fee that we have to pay and then hire someone to run the pipe to the tap point. They claim better fire and police protection, maybe eventually but they haven’t started building that new fire station they talked about two years ago. They have purchased land for it though. So far, I am about a $1,000 per year in the hole on this deal the way I see it.
Call them and complain! (423) 229-9414 I don’t think we can stop it because the laws allow them to annex by referendum and does not require a vote from the people this effects. Isn’t this taxation without representation? Wasn’t there a big tea party in Boston one time over this same type of thing? When we get annexed, vote for me to be on the city board of mayor and aldermen. Elect me and I will vote against every annexation that comes up from now on. Or, does anyone want to buy a house so I can move out of the city again?