Atmore annexation taken off the table

Commission to send an opposition letter; Mayor Staff says the issue has been solved

The Escambia County (Ala.) Commission voted 4-1 to send a letter to Atmore Mayor Jim Staff, the Atmore City Council and members of the county's legislative delegation opposed to Atmore annexing portions of Commission District 4 into the city limits despite Mayor Staff saying such an annexation is off the table.

District 5 Commissioner Karean Reynolds told fellow commissioners Monday that the city of Atmore was intending to annex portions of the county that included businesses and farm land just outside the city limits.

Reynolds said he talked to the property owners and said nobody knew anything about it. He said most of the concerns were about the property being rezoned and people being limited to what they could do with their property.

Commissioner Brandon Smith said he agreed with Reynolds that if annexation was on the table everybody needed to be involved, but said he was going to vote 'no' against sending a letter to the city of Atmore.

Smith said he talked with Mayor Staff and told him the annexation idea was causing a problem with some members of the commission.

“He said 'forget about it, it's off the table'.”

Smith also noted that several years ago when the county was in a financial bind and laid off 30 percent of its workforce and was looking to lay off more the county reached out to the mayors in the county to support a 1-cent county-wide sales tax.

“Every mayor supported it,” Smith said. “Today, we've been able to make the county whole again, we've got new asphalt roads. We have an infrastructure program in place. We're in a lot better shape than we were several years ago thanks to the mayors.”

The county began receiving proceeds of the 1-cent sales tax in July, 2017, and today is generating between $3.6 and $3.8 million a year.

“I'm the voice of my constituents,” Reynolds said. “We shouldn't sacrifice these residents for one person – the mayor.”

Reynolds said he did talk with Mayor Staff and said he got different answers when he talked to him.

Mayor Staff said there had never been a proposal to annex the land Reynolds is talking about.

“It's just something that was talked about,” Staff said. “A little discussion. But now the issue is dead. That's what I told Karean the other day. Karean listened to the wrong mouth.”

Staff did say several years ago the city reached out to the residents in that area when the city was looking to connect the Atmore city limits all the way to Rivercane.

“This is the first thing I've heard about it in three or four years,” Staff said.

At the time Staff said the annexation would have cut the homeowners' insurance in half, which would more than make up the difference in any city taxes.

“If this issue does come up, rest assured we will have multiple public hearings and give everybody an opportunity to express their opinions,” Staff said. “But as of now, it's a dead issue.”

Reynolds presented the commission with a draft of a letter he wanted sent to the city and the legislative delegation saying the commission was against the annexation.

“It has come to the attention of the Escambia County Commission that the city of Atmore has plans to annex local business and properties located just outside of Atmore in Escambia County District 5,” Reynolds' letter reads. “A preliminary investigation conducted by District 5 Commissioner Karean L. Reynolds indicates that the majority of the business owners, land owners and residents oppose this arbitrary annexation by the city of Atmore.”

“Multiple concerns were raised to include the potential of zoning ordinances that would limit land owners' use of properties, the businesses strategically located their business outside of the city limits for business purposes, and residents would be subjected to Atmore city ordinances that's contrary to their property usage,” the letter continues.

“Whereas, District 5's business owners, land owners and residents do not agree with the annexation of their property by the city of Atmore,” the letter continues. “The Escambia County Commission, as a body, stands behind its constituents and formally oppose the annexation of the property as it goes against the will of the business owners, land owners and residents. However, the commission would not oppose the annexation of the property of land owners, business owners or residents who consent to being within the jurisdiction of the city of Atmore.”

“For the foregoing reasons, the Escambia County Commission urges the city of Atmore, State Representative Alan Baker and Senator Greg Albritton to reconsider the annexation by local act of the businesses and properties located outside of Atmore without their express consent,” the letter continued.

Reynolds said Monday he'd like County Attorney Thad Moore, Sr., to review the letter and make any changes necessary before sending it to the city of Atmore and the legislative delegation.

The commission voted 4-1 to send the letter with Commissioner Smith voting no. Commissioners voting yes to send the letter were Raymond Wiggins, David Stokes, Scottie Stewart and Reynolds.