Jimmie Johnson and Phyllis Jenshak have been neighbors in southern Monroe County Eagleview subdivision for about 17 years.
“We get along great. This is a nice neighborhood.”
Johnson says they have everything they need and oppose higher taxes and more government.
“I just want people tell me how's this going to benefit me and my wife as homeowners here? I think it's going to favor the city more than it's gonna favor the homeowners.”
He says he has no interest in helping finance city projects like Switchyard Park.
Mayor John Hamilton says annexation will reduce sewer bills, provide access to policing, trash and recycling, transit services, and more.
“I understand that people who are right next to a city boundary … For them, this feels like why is it good for me to be in the city? I think the question really is what's good for the whole community of Bloomington.”
But is that enough to convince Monroe County residents and members of the city council?
Hamilton says the average residential owner would see around a $600 annual tax increase. But that’s an average through more than 9,200 acres and 14,300 people.
Indiana code stipulates municipalities can annex after a mail notice, public outreach, fiscal plans presentation, public hearings, and city council adoption.
Indiana University public finance economics professor Justin Ross says that makes Indiana’s process more efficient and helps avoid urban sprawl and duplication of services.
“The big trade off this style of approach done, and you can kind of see this play out, is that it's considered the least likely to have say, the most adequate planning, the least amount of communication, that it's most likely to have more hostility involved with those who you're annexing.”
That’s what county commissioner Julie Thomas is worried about.
“Our biggest concern is that there are residents of the county who don't know that they're being targeted for annexation. Information went out and this was a big community issue in 2017. But some new residents have moved into these properties.”
The city’s 2017 annexation plan was stopped by a very late addition to that year’s state budget. Bloomington officials slammed the move as legislative overreach. They sued and won, overturning the law in December 2020.
So annexation is back. Hamilton says another round of mailings will be sent to affected homeowners and a public hearing is scheduled for August 4. City council can only limit the proposed boundaries or revoke any of the eight areas during proceedings on September 15.
Thomas says that’s only a few months to browse through the city’s 700-page plan.
“There's a lot of questions about some of the statistical information and how the numbers were derived.”
The county bases its budget on income tax based on residency. And if you’re a resident of the city, that tax gets paid to the city rather than the county.
Monroe County Council member Eric Spoonmore says that, and other tax shifts, could amount to a $3.7 million cut.
“There are going to be impacts on many of the county's funding sources, including, you know, local income tax, public safety, income tax, motor vehicle, highway, food and beverage tax, wheel tax and excise tax.”
Spoonmore says he’s worried annexation will make it more difficult to fund county-wide services such as the Health Department and the criminal justice system.
The proposed annexation is substantial so the financial ripple effect on taxing units will be too. But Hamilton says the city has no choice, annexation should have been ongoing for the last 17 years.
“We need to catch up or we will always be behind and won't be able to catch up.”
Hamilton points out annexation allows new residents to vote in city elections. But Jenshak says, it doesn’t make a difference.
“We tend to be more on the on the conservative side. And Bloomington always goes liberal, I don't think my vote would really matter that much.”
Jenshak and other annexed residents won’t get to vote in the next election anyway. The remonstrance period goes until Jan. 1, 2024, when the approved annexations take effect… right after 2023 municipal elections.
For WFIU News, I’m Joe Hren.
“We get along great. This is a nice neighborhood.”
Johnson says they have everything they need and oppose higher taxes and more government.
“I just want people tell me how's this going to benefit me and my wife as homeowners here? I think it's going to favor the city more than it's gonna favor the homeowners.”
He says he has no interest in helping finance city projects like Switchyard Park.
Mayor John Hamilton says annexation will reduce sewer bills, provide access to policing, trash and recycling, transit services, and more.
“I understand that people who are right next to a city boundary … For them, this feels like why is it good for me to be in the city? I think the question really is what's good for the whole community of Bloomington.”
But is that enough to convince Monroe County residents and members of the city council?
Hamilton says the average residential owner would see around a $600 annual tax increase. But that’s an average through more than 9,200 acres and 14,300 people.
Indiana code stipulates municipalities can annex after a mail notice, public outreach, fiscal plans presentation, public hearings, and city council adoption.
Indiana University public finance economics professor Justin Ross says that makes Indiana’s process more efficient and helps avoid urban sprawl and duplication of services.
“The big trade off this style of approach done, and you can kind of see this play out, is that it's considered the least likely to have say, the most adequate planning, the least amount of communication, that it's most likely to have more hostility involved with those who you're annexing.”
That’s what county commissioner Julie Thomas is worried about.
“Our biggest concern is that there are residents of the county who don't know that they're being targeted for annexation. Information went out and this was a big community issue in 2017. But some new residents have moved into these properties.”
The city’s 2017 annexation plan was stopped by a very late addition to that year’s state budget. Bloomington officials slammed the move as legislative overreach. They sued and won, overturning the law in December 2020.
So annexation is back. Hamilton says another round of mailings will be sent to affected homeowners and a public hearing is scheduled for August 4. City council can only limit the proposed boundaries or revoke any of the eight areas during proceedings on September 15.
Thomas says that’s only a few months to browse through the city’s 700-page plan.
“There's a lot of questions about some of the statistical information and how the numbers were derived.”
The county bases its budget on income tax based on residency. And if you’re a resident of the city, that tax gets paid to the city rather than the county.
Monroe County Council member Eric Spoonmore says that, and other tax shifts, could amount to a $3.7 million cut.
“There are going to be impacts on many of the county's funding sources, including, you know, local income tax, public safety, income tax, motor vehicle, highway, food and beverage tax, wheel tax and excise tax.”
Spoonmore says he’s worried annexation will make it more difficult to fund county-wide services such as the Health Department and the criminal justice system.
The proposed annexation is substantial so the financial ripple effect on taxing units will be too. But Hamilton says the city has no choice, annexation should have been ongoing for the last 17 years.
“We need to catch up or we will always be behind and won't be able to catch up.”
Hamilton points out annexation allows new residents to vote in city elections. But Jenshak says, it doesn’t make a difference.
“We tend to be more on the on the conservative side. And Bloomington always goes liberal, I don't think my vote would really matter that much.”
Jenshak and other annexed residents won’t get to vote in the next election anyway. The remonstrance period goes until Jan. 1, 2024, when the approved annexations take effect… right after 2023 municipal elections.
For WFIU News, I’m Joe Hren.
