The AJC reports that Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Phyllis Edwards recommended to the school board on Tuesday to oppose annexation, citing reasons most of us can probably guess.
In the same article Mayor Floyd states that Edwards’ recommendation “carries a lot of weight” with the city commission.
And with that, I’m finding it difficult not to deem this initiative all but dead.
The tide has been turning against annexation for a while now… starting with a general lack of vocal support from those concerned about taxes, a failing and erratic economy, the state cutting school funding, and finally the inaccurate student enrollment figures.
Decatur may indeed need to raise taxes in the near future to retain our current services. However, the market has yet to prove that the demand isn’t there. If and when the millage increases, those that can’t afford it will move out and those that can will move in. And if you don’t have a problem with a more homogeneous, upscale Decatur (and you can afford the increase) this isn’t a problem for you until people begin to balk at the tax rate, even in lieu of great schools and services. That’s yet to happen.
Hopefully the HOST issue can soon be settled. That should provide some relief should it ever be resolved.
It’s called gentrification folks. And while you can buffer against dramatic shifts, a trend towards it is almost inevitable when you create a great and unique place to live in a metro area.