American Concrete gets tread on
I went to the Anderson City Council meeting on Monday night to show my support for constituents that own American Concrete. A few years ago, the company was pressured into signing an annexation agreement before getting their water turned on (The city owns the water company and this is the normal practice for water customers outside the city limits.) Not weighing the potential taxing burden the agreement was signed.
There are several disturbing issues with this utility annexation scheme going on:
1-The City Council is overlooking the fact that a tenant signed the agreement and the owner of the property did not.
2-The City charges water customers outside the city limits over twice the rate of those customers that live in the city. Taxation with out Representation; tea anyone?
3-The city doesn’t seem to be interested in annexing the nearby mill neighborhoods. These low income folks need the services much more than anyone else. Apparently, they will loop around to Camellia Drive and go after Loblolly Pines and Hunter’s Glen. I don’t have any proof of these plans, but my hunch does make sense. They want areas that need little services and generate lots of dollars. Can you imagine the revenue if they can get to Lake Hartwell?
The Council voted unanimously in favor of annexation on first reading. The resolution must get the necessary 2nd & 3rd readings. Let’s hope they change their minds even though they are licking their chops over a possible $20,000 or more tax collections. If this hit doesn’t put American Concrete out of business, they will probably need to move. Who cares if your city limits are inching towards money! Keep the pace slow so only a few people get upset as each fingerling extends. Remember the frog won’t jump out of the pot if the water is slowly heated up.
Even if the agreement was legitimate, should a municipality be able to black-mail folks into annexation in order for them to get their water? Unfortunately this practice is legal and happens every day in several areas of the state, but I don’t think it is fair.
Your thoughts?
December 12th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Ahhh, municipal mendacity.
I’ve seen analogous revenue enhancing step take by the City of Charleston, who’s developed another, annexing the streets, to enfranchise a couple of homeowners, leaving “postage stamps” of public service districts clients. Along with the teneous extension of services there have been revenue enhancing reductions of speed limits, introduced by stealth, complete with a smiling officer to enforce it.
Mayhaps you and Glen McConnell cold get together on a secession clause for municipalities for instnaces like this and James Island. I’ve seen municipalities allowed to shift from county to county, Edisto Beach being the most recent (moving from Charleston to Colleton county), though I know that Kershaw County lost a city to an adjoining county in the 1980s. If this privlege is afforded to a municipality, it ought to be afforded the land owners, particularly in the face of the extortion American Concrete faced without being the landowner.
I suspect that the property rights folks might appreciate it.
December 12th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Ahhh, municipal mendacity.
I’ve seen analogous revenue enhancing step take by the City of Charleston, who’s developed another, annexing the streets, to enfranchise a couple of homeowners, leaving “postage stamps” of public service districts clients. Along with the teneous extension of services there have been revenue enhancing reductions of speed limits, introduced by stealth, complete with a smiling officer to enforce it.
Mayhaps you and Glen McConnell cold get together on a secession clause for municipalities for instnaces like this and James Island. I’ve seen municipalities allowed to shift from county to county, Edisto Beach being the most recent (moving from Charleston to Colleton county), though I know that Kershaw County lost a city to an adjoining county in the 1980s. If this privlege is afforded to a municipality, it ought to be afforded the land owners, particularly in the face of the extortion American Concrete faced without being the landowner.
I suspect that the property rights folks might appreciate it.
December 13th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Did the concrete company have any other source of water? It was a clear contractual arrangement that the concrete company needed something (water) and the city could provide it under certain terms and conditions. The concrete company certainly did not have to get their water from the city did they?
December 13th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Did the concrete company have any other source of water? It was a clear contractual arrangement that the concrete company needed something (water) and the city could provide it under certain terms and conditions. The concrete company certainly did not have to get their water from the city did they?
December 14th, 2006 at 1:19 am
doesn’t the city already charge higher rates for water customers outside the city? why couldn’t they provide the water without the contract? why can’t the city simply vote to not annex?
December 14th, 2006 at 1:19 am
doesn’t the city already charge higher rates for water customers outside the city? why couldn’t they provide the water without the contract? why can’t the city simply vote to not annex?
December 14th, 2006 at 4:45 am
SEN. BRYANT, ARE YOU INTERFERING WITH GOVERNMENT TAKINGS OF PRIVATE LAND? ANY GOOD COMMUNIST WOULD SHOOT YOU! BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK, BIG BRO DOESN’T LIKE YOUR VIEWS!
December 14th, 2006 at 4:45 am
SEN. BRYANT, ARE YOU INTERFERING WITH GOVERNMENT TAKINGS OF PRIVATE LAND? ANY GOOD COMMUNIST WOULD SHOOT YOU! BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK, BIG BRO DOESN’T LIKE YOUR VIEWS!
December 19th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Look at the tax base that has been taken away from the city by Anmed health. Anmed has bought doctors offices, labs and other areas inside the city and moved the tenants to Anmed Health. Therefore they are eating up some of the office space that would normally pay city taxes. They have no choice but to generate revenue to take its place. Anmed Health requires so many services, such as police and fire protection, without any tax burden or fee required becasuse of its non-profit status.
Look also at other areas in the state where municipalities own utility companies. Some charge as much as 3X for water rates. This is a measure for the city to protect its residents not some measure to take over Anderson county. Look at the facts on annexations in the past by the city. It is not a plan to rule the world!
December 19th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Look at the tax base that has been taken away from the city by Anmed health. Anmed has bought doctors offices, labs and other areas inside the city and moved the tenants to Anmed Health. Therefore they are eating up some of the office space that would normally pay city taxes. They have no choice but to generate revenue to take its place. Anmed Health requires so many services, such as police and fire protection, without any tax burden or fee required becasuse of its non-profit status.
Look also at other areas in the state where municipalities own utility companies. Some charge as much as 3X for water rates. This is a measure for the city to protect its residents not some measure to take over Anderson county. Look at the facts on annexations in the past by the city. It is not a plan to rule the world!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
[...] I’ve been determined to follow through on this inequality since I learned of these practices several years ago. You may like to see this post (annexation manipulation) and this one (American Concrete gets tread on). [...]