This law is really screwed up and needs to be changed.  The election is required to be follow the rules of all other elections, yet Gerrymandering is allowed to bypass any possible opposition to the annexation.  This is not a general election.  This is a vote about the fate of one’s property.  As it stands now a person renting a house for over 3 months will have more say in the future of that property than the owner.  Also people driving by a string of businesses in Tillman’s Corner on their way to one residential area in Theodore will determine the fate of all those businesses.
. That is just fundamentally wrong on so many levels!!!!!!

I was told at the Board of Registrars Thursday, Sept. 4th that only residents living in these areas for 3 months or more were allowed to vote. Pardon me, But all commercial and residential property owners that will be effected by this proposed annexation should have the right to vote. I would like to know who implemented this rule and do they have the legal right. To impose additional hardship on residents, businesses or the general public with higher taxes of any kind through whatever means is simply unreasonable right now. If the citizens of the City of Mobile truly love living there, it seems like they could raise funds on their own to support whatever they need whether through ongoing auctions, special events, donations and so on.  Look at Semmes they raised funds necessary for the new public library! That’s because the residents of Semmes care about their town & love living there! Many schools have depended on students, parents & teachers to help raise funds for A/C and much more.

It’s going to have to be a combined effort of many people.  First, the citizens must continue to voice their opposition to what Mobile is doing—they need to continue to email ALL county, city and state elected officials.  We need to continue to voice our opposition at the upcoming City Council meetings.  Citizens who have been denied the right to vote have been encouraged to file suit against the City.  Businesses affected (and without a vote) have been encouraged to file suit against the City.

If you know anyone in the annexation areas, educate them on the FACTS about being annexed into the City.  The City is promising lots of FREEBIES—nothing will be FREE so that is very misleading and basically, it’s not the truth. 

If you know anyone outside of the proposed annexation areas, but that live in sames ZIP codes, educate them on how this annexation will affect them if it passes.

And PRAY that the outcome is JUST and FAIR.

This annexation is so bold and obvious in its discriminatory Gerrymandering that it is difficult to see how it can go through the system without being halted.
. What needs to be done and by whom?

I spoke with someone in the Forest Hill area on Wednesday—someone IN the City limits.  She was enraged at the thought of Mobile continuing to annex even more areas and promise these new areas things like FREE Street Lights when she can’t even get her councilwoman to fix a City storm drain that is collapsing at the corner of her property.

I’ve heard things like this from many of the City of Mobile residents.  They have had enough of the City not taking care of what they already have.  Supposedly the last annexation of the Airport/Schillinger Rd area was going to make things so much better with increased revenue to beef up things like the police department, a new multi-million dollar police & fire dept at the Airport property…. now they are wondering where all of this new tax revenue went!

It’s actually pathetic—the way the lines are drawn around people to exclude them from voting—dividing their communities….

Unfortunately, the people IN the annexation area are not being told “everything”.... sure their CITY property taxes will not be charged for 5 years BUT, the tradeoff is that they will not even have a voice in their local government for 5 years too!  No voting in municipal elections.  Also, there would be immediate increase in sales taxes paid in the area, immediate increase in utility taxes, immediate increase in car and boat sales taxes, and an immediate increase in CAR & BOAT TAGS!  Those are the City taxes that will increase immediately.

I would like to see HOW the Mayor proposes that the City Police Dept is going to handle the additional areas (and PJ areas) with an even thinner number of police officers!  Wonder what the crime rates will be inside the City limits after annexation?  I wouldn’t want to be living there to find out.

Sam must not have much confidence in the tanker contract becoming a reality for Mobile.  It is said that if it came to pass, that there would be a boom to the whole of Mobile’s economy.  First starting with commercial development and followed by housing.
. Instead of thinking of ways to make the city more attractive to investors, he is only focused on going after wal marts.

I agree Bamabob, I moved out of the city to get away from the b.s. and now they are reaching toward my new residence, I don’t fall in the proposed areas, but I do shop and spend my money in those areas, and I dont feel as though the city should tax me for shopping in Mobile COUNTY.  I just wish the County Officials woudl step up and voice some concerns over this and lets try to stop Sam from taking over the whole county.  Sam you need to take care of the problems you have in YOUR city, not try to drag the rest of the county down with you…
Signed,
Pi$$e6 off in Mobile COUNTY

grrrrrrrrrrrrr
. No comment, just wanted to express myself….

Why have we not heard any legal opinions about this annexation attempt?  This thing just screams of unethical behavior from top to bottom and we are not hearing a blasted thing about its constitutionality.  The only legal voice I have heard has been the city attorney and his opinion is too biased to be of much value.