Why Cities Annex?
The City of Chelsea has various reasons for initiating annexation. These include:
The City of Chelsea has various reasons for initiating annexation. These include:
- Annexation to provide areas for future growth: Cities initiate annexation in order to provide areas for future growth and development. This can be especially critical in cities with limited vacant, developable property to accommodate growth within its existing boundaries.
- Annexation to secure tax base, revenue sources: This could include annexation of areas with commercial activities that produce sales tax revenues or areas that produce current or future utility revenues. At present, the City of Chelsea has no ad valorem tax. However, more rooftops and people within the city will help us to secure commercial development which helps our tax base
- Annexation to cover service costs for Chelsea residents using City services: As more and more residential areas develop within Chelsea, these residents begin to use the City's streets, parks and other facilities without paying for these services. Annexation brings the added revenue to help cover these service costs. City census counts also underlie most statistics used by the federal government to allocate federal funds. Each year around $300 billion in federal funds is allocated based on the decennial census counts. The City of Chelsea would be allotted more federal funds to provide more and better services for our residents if our city population increases. The decennial census is just right around the corner. If you live in Chelsea, why not annex, so you can help the City in our efforts to provide even better streets, parks, and other facilities in Chelsea. This is a great way you can help at no cost to you!
- Annexation to assert zoning or other regulatory control: Annexation brings territory into the full regulatory authority of a city. While the statutes provide cities with limited regulatory authority within its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), annexation into a city allows application of full land use controls and development standards. This additional control allows the City to implement the Comprehensive Plan.
- Annexation to protect the public health & safety: Cities initiate annexation to provide urbanizing areas with municipal services and to exercise the regulatory authority necessary to protect public health and safety. The City of Chelsea provides free fire protection for all of our residents within the city limits and contracts with Shelby County for deputies to patrol the area. We also have our C.O.P.’s who provide a very useful “neighborhood watch”.