It Is Imperative For Future Thriving Annex Suburbs Now City Provides Utilities, Deserves The Tax Base.

The city’s recent announcement that it is studying annexation is hardly the greedy land grab that county officials and some citizens would have us believe.

Several of the areas, such as the West Plains, Yardley and, to a lesser degree, Moran Prairie, include industry and retail stores that provide a lucrative tax base that any government would like to claim. But it’s equally true that the without vital water and sewer services provided by the city all of those areas would have remained largely undeveloped.

Much of the tax benefit the county has realized from these areas in recent years is because the city extended services. Now the city wants that tax benefit.

It’s an all or nothing arrangement, with the lion’s share of the property and sales tax going to the city or the county depending on which controls the land. That’s unfortunate. Perhaps the city and county could agree to share the tax base. Or better yet, we could form a consolidated county government and the question of who gets the taxes becomes a moot point.

But in the meantime, the city has a strong claim to annex areas to which it has extended services.

Much of the development taking place in the areas considered for annexation is city-type development - subdivisions, industry and retail shopping centers. The city hasn’t set its sights on great tracts of agrarian activity.

No one should be surprised that the city is considering expansion. In return for city water and sewer service, property owners outside the city limits have for years signed agreements that they would not oppose annexation. Citizens and county officials don’t have to read between the lines, the intent is clear. The city planned to annex the areas to which it extended utilities.

County fire districts would lose taxes any time an area is annexed. But the city has agreements with these districts that would ensure they didn’t lose their tax money overnight. Who knows, they might even strike up a cooperative agreement for fire protection that would benefit both entities.

But is this really the best time to annex? No. The best time to annex would have been when the city extended its utilities. Now the city needs to actively consider annexations to keep Spokane a viable and growing city that is an attractive place to live and do business.