Annexations should be stopped

Any annexations should be stopped. Annexations are being done to take high value commercial real estate taxes away from UMSA. If we are to believe that UMSA has such a serious funding shortage, the last thing that the Mayor and Commissioners should allow to occur is to aid and abet cities to abscond with more of our tax base. If this is allowed to go on, UMSA residents will be left with even less money for our services. Your County government will be consciously allowing the creation of slum areas within Dade County.

And I've often wondered what would happen if a small city annexed a much larger population from the surrounding area? Unless the newly incorporated city residents were OK with the current city's priorities, a large influx of new residents could completely change the priorities, possibly ushering in a whole new "Sense of Community" with their majority. Imagine how frustrating it would be for the original city members to deal with newly elected representatives from an annexed area voting for more funds to be spent within their areas for all the amenities they felt they now deserved. Imagine if the current pols lost their power to rule? So, I don't think any large annexations of living, breathing people will happen any time soon. You can expect small bites of areas, usually small enough so it won't be necessary to even take a vote. And, if less than 250 registered voters reside within the area (see Florida City annexation), no vote needs to be taken - another injustice that elected officials refuse to correct).

Debbie Lamb