Linton mayor questions council's intentions about annexation

The proposed annexation issue apparently isn't dead in the city of Linton, as Mayor Tom Jones pressed members of the city council Monday night hard for some guidance on where to go from this point.

The latest annexation proposal has not yet come to a vote and the mayor says he has good reason for not calling for a vote until he knows where the council members stand.

If the annexation does not go through it cannot be brought to the table for two years. If a remonstrance occurs, it'll be another 12 years before it can come before the council again.

Mayor Jones confirmed there is an economic prospect that wants to come into the city, if the Grant Township area is annexed.

"My question is to the council, where do you want to go with the annexation? Do you want to let it die? Do you want to give it up? What do you want to do," Jones said in explaining that his office is frequently fielding questions about annexation and he doesn't know what to tell the people who are asking him about it.

The mayor contends that the city would benefit economically from the Grant Township annexation -- located in two sections just to the east of the current city limits.

If and when annexation is official, the city has three years to provide municipal services to the area and one year to provide police and fire protection to the area.

Jones told the Greene County Daily World that much of the area is already receiving police and fire protection and many of the area's residents are benefiting from lower insurance rates because of it.

Councilman Tony Richards asked the mayor if he was working on a voluntary annexation.

"I am, but you (the council) have to agree to accept everything," Jones replied.

Council member Linda Bedwell quickly noted, "I don't want to accept anything until I know what it is we are accepting."

Jones explained that he didn't want to promise the interested parties anything he can't deliver on behalf of the city.

Richards said it was his understanding that under a voluntary annexation the interested parties were to 'approach' the city and explain why they want to be brought into the city.

"They have approached us. We have the documents," Jones stated.

Jones further explained, "I'm not talking to anyone until you guys (the city council) decide where you want to go with this."

Council member Bedwell added, "I'm not voting for any annexation if I don't know what I'm voting for."

The mayor replied, "That is really what I wanted to hear. If you are not in favor of growth, then that is what I want to hear."

Bedwell came back and said, "It's not that I'm not in favor of growth. But I'm not going to vote for anything that I don't know what I'm voting for."

"We've had presentations from people who said they wanted to come here," Jones said.

To that Bedwell said, "And, we had a whole lot of people that are against it (the annexation) because it's going to affect them too."

Richards said, "I'm willing to listen to what they have to say from those who voluntarily want to come into the city, but if they don't approach us, I don't know what to say about it."

Councilman Nigel Lehman agreed with Richards and said, "The cost of this thing (annexation) let's just say is $2 million, if we tie all of that down, I don't think we're going to get involved in spending a lot of money for sewers at this time. I'm not against annexation, if people want to come in."

He added bad economic times makes this a tough time to talk about annexation.

"I don't feel like it's the time to talk annexation. Maybe in the future," Lehman stated.

Councilman Charlie Cox said he would favor voluntary annexation, "If voluntary means what I think it means. Meaning that they are willing and wanting to be annexed."

Hearing the comments, Mayor Jones stated, "So I assume that the consensus of this group is you'd like to have something set in stone before you'd want to take a risk to bring jobs in."

Jones explained after the meeting that a proposed project dubbed "Bridle Brook Adult Community" wants to locate at State Road 54 and Lone Tree Road -- adjacent to Greene County General Hospital. The project, which could create between 30 and 60 jobs, would offer 90 apartments with amenities as well as an Alzheimer's unit and hospice care rooms.

Councilman Richards said it is his understanding that the developer had "other options" and may seek tax abatements from the county.

"We're not trying to kill the project as far as keeping them from building...but we don't have it set in concrete that they are coming for sure," Richards noted.

To that Mayor Jones asked, "My question back to you guys is you are willing to give away the goods and services free to those people in that area?"

He added, "I just want to get your feelings on it before we go farther with it because it's a dead issue tonight or it's not."

After the meeting, when asked if annexation is dead, Mayor Jones said, "It can't be a dead issue because we never voted on it. There are opportunities that we are going to have. If I would have let them vote on annexation a month ago when the ordinance came about, if they would have voted it down, we couldn't annexed again for two years. The sad part of it is we have actually stifled growth. When cities don't grow, they die. This community is sitting on the verge of opportunities."

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