(A) Statement of fact.
(1) The city is located on U.S. Highway 35, west of the City of Gas City and south of the City of Marion on State Road 15. The city is the only incorporated city or town west of Gas City on U.S. Highway 35. There is no incorporated city or town at the intersection of U.S. Highway 35 and State Road 9 or State Road 37.
(2) The city is located within 3 miles of Marion on State Road 15.
(3) The city believes that the only substantial growth that it will experience as a city will be west of its current city limits on and in the direction of U.S. Highway 35 and north towards Marion. The city also realizes that other growth can occur in areas adjacent to (and to a certain extent within the current city limits) as people and businesses located in proximity to the city to benefit from its municipal services.
(4) The city has water and sewage utilities with adequate capacity for expansion. Currently, the city believes it is the only water and sanitary sewer service provider that can economically serve this corridor west on U.S. Highway 35 and the adjacent areas to the city corporate limits.
(5) The city believes that development can occur close to its corporate limits and along these corridors in order that the current and planned development can avail itself of the key municipal services which are provided by the city, and that these new developments depend upon the presence of the city, its residents, and its services as the basis for their success.
(6) The incorporated city, and the unincorporated metropolitan area surrounding it, currently do, and in the foreseeable future will continue to, function as one community and should be incorporated under one main unit of government.
(7) The city hereby establishes and makes public a direction with regard to the city’s policy toward annexation. The city herein clearly states its intent to annex areas adjacent to the incorporated city, especially in those cases where new or existing developments can or have availed themselves of municipal services.
(B) Statement of purpose.
(1) In order for the city to grow in an organized and methodical fashion, and in compliance with state law, it is appropriate for the city’s leadership, including the city administration and the Common Council, to establish a formal policy regarding annexation. This policy should set forth the parameters which the city will consider in determining whether the annexation of a certain area would comply with state law, and whether it is fiscally responsible and in the best interests of the city, its residents and the community at large.
(2) In pursuit of these ends, the following statement of Annexation Policy sets forth the policies and parameters which the city hereby adopts as a means of guiding the future growth of the incorporated city.
(C) Statement of goals. The purpose of annexation is to guide and control the growth of the incorporated city. Therefore, the city hereby establishes the following general goals with regard to annexation.
(1) All residences and businesses which are currently served by city services, or desire service from city utilities or other city services, or need city services (and can be efficiently provided these services by the city) may eventually become a part of the incorporated city. In order that the general public, especially those residents and businesses within the service area of the city, but currently outside of the incorporated city limits, be fairly and properly notified, this should become a matter of general public information.
(2) Annexation actions should not result in a material general property tax increase within the currently incorporated community. Annexation is a response to growth, and is intended to be pursued in a manner whose fiscal impact on the incorporated city is fundamentally positive. Therefore, the annexation of areas whose problems are so great that they overwhelm the revenue streams which could be used to solve the problems should be discouraged.
(3) The city should continue to require the execution of “waivers of remonstrance” for all development which is within the service area of the city and its utilities. Considering that the infrastructure systems to which the new developments seek to connect have been purchased by the citizens of the incorporated city, the city’s agreement to extend such services in anticipation of annexation is equivalent to consensus in favor of annexation.
(4) All of the long-range planning for the city projects that the business center of the metropolitan area will develop west on U.S. Highway 35 and north on State Road 15. As a result, the city should pursue annexation based on priorities which support the city’s future planning. In real terms, therefore, the incorporated City of Jonesboro will grow west along U.S. Highway 35 and north along State Road 15 and into areas adjacent to the city’s current corporate limits as the primary directions of growth for the city over the next five to 15 years.
(D) Statement of results. The result of implementing the Annexation Policies stated above will be the coordinated development of a single metropolitan community with one governmental unit responsible for providing municipal services to the entire area. Such services as roadway maintenance and improvements, snow plowing, water, stormwater, and sewer construction and maintenance, police protection, and other municipal services can be provided uniformly throughout the metropolitan area as a result of incorporation. Furthermore, the residents within the metropolitan area can participate in electing the local officials whose decisions will most affect their quality of life and the long-term viability of the community, and future development of the metropolitan community can be undertaken with the clear understanding that these developments are to be a part of the incorporated greater city community.
(Res. 2-2020, passed 10-27-2020)