Annexation Back on the Table

Annexation back to the table
November 1, 2010
The council voted to bring back for a vote at its Nov. 18 meeting an annexation ordinance that would see the city incorporate the Charlestown Road commercial corridor into New Albany.

The ordinance passed on initial readings, but the administration requested the annexation be delayed one year. Thus, the measure was tabled by the council in September.

Councilman Dan Coffey asked that the ordinance be brought back for a final reading. He said the process should be started over if the administration still wants to proceed.

“If there’s annexation, we can bring it back next year,” and start from the beginning Coffey said.

Coffey has criticized the administration for poorly planning the annexation and trying to speed through the stages of the proposal.

Businesses that would be impacted by the annexation should be given another year to adjust to the rise in property taxes from being incorporated, England said when he requested the action be delayed.

Despite initial reports from department heads vowing their staffs could handle the additional responsibility without more workers, England said the administration needed to ensure the annexed property could be serviced by the city under current staffing levels.