Approval would add 115 residents to town
Ashley Meadows at White Oak apartment complex has requested to be a part of the Town of Columbus.
Columbus Town Council met Thursday, Sept. 15 and acknowledged receipt of the petition for a contiguous voluntary annexation. Council directed the town clerk to investigate the sufficiency of the petition.
Ashley Meadows is an apartment complex located at Ashley Meadows Circle just outside the town along Hwy. 108 near Polk County High School. The complex includes six buildings and 48 units, which house approximately 115 people.
Ashley Meadows Property Manager April Lathan said the complex’s reasons for wanting to be a part of Columbus are twofold, including guaranteed police protection provided by the town and lower water bills for residents. Ashley Meadows is a multi-family complex geared toward lower-income residents, and Lathan said residents are having a difficult time paying outside town rates for water and sewer.
Annexing Ashley Meadows would bring the town increased tax revenue but would reduce water and sewer revenue significantly.
Columbus Town Manager Jonathan Kanipe said he will work to provide council with information about how much state revenue reimbursements, such as sales tax and beer and wine tax, would increase because of the gain in population.
Kanipe provided council with figures on how bringing Ashley Meadows inside the town would affect tax revenues, as well as its effect on revenues from water, sewer and garbage fees.
The complex is currently assessed at $2,007,307 in tax value, which would bring $7,026 in annual property tax revenue to the town.
Water and sewer rates are higher for residents outside town limits. Ashley Meadows currently pays, at outside rates, an average of $52,665 per year in water, sewer and water line fees.
If Ashley Meadows were annexed into the town, residents would be required to pay garbage rates, but would receive reduced water and sewer rates.
The town estimates the total revenue to the town’s enterprise (water/sewer) fund would be $27,029 if the complex is annexed. The town contracts garbage services with All Bright Sanitation, so officials didn’t count the added garbage fees as revenue.
The total loss in water/sewer revenue would be an estimated $25,636 annually if the property is annexed, comgined with the tax revenue gain of $7,026.
Officials have made no estimates yet on whether the town would see an increase in state tax revenues because of the population increase if the annexation were approved.
Columbus recently denied a request for a non-contiguous voluntary annexation from Giardini’s Gardens & Trattoria, a restaurant located on Hwy. 108 just beyond the high school. The town denied Giardini’s request twice in about a year.
Council gave no indication last week how it feels about adding the apartment complex and population to the town.
A public hearing will be required before council considers the final annexation request.