Tuscaloosa Senator Gerald Allen (R-21) plans to introduce a bill in the current session of the Alabama Legislature that would involuntarily force the annexation of commercial properties in Tuscaloosa County with the Town of Lakeview in competition with adjoining development and investments that have been underway for a number of years by the Bibb County community of Woodstock. The forced annexations are located in the Town of Woodstock police jurisdiction at the Exit 100 along I-59/20 and include 8 commercial parcels; The Petro, Lake View Elementary, Dollar General, Curren Pharmacy, a church, the Carvanna auto lot and the Tannehill General.

 

This is not the first time Lakeview has attempted to annex this area. Their efforts were denied by a judicial decision in 2007 by a Tuscaloosa court.

 

In Alabama properties are customarily and traditionally annexed with the voluntary consent of the landowners. The move by Senator Allen has raised the ire of local residents on social media posts asking whether property owners or the municipality should decide if property should be annexed. One astute observer on social media pointed out that “the act of forcefully moving an owner’s property into a town is inconsistent with American beliefs that we should be in control of our own property rights.

 

Bibb County Legislators have previously been on the record with the Bibb County Commission to say that disputes about land annexations within the county are not matters to bring before the legislature.

 

Woodstock officials we spoke to for this article oppose this forced annexation on the following grounds:

  1. The bill to annex these properties into the City of Lake View is not supported by the citizens or property owners. Sen. Allen has not revealed at the present time the origins of this bill, but the City of Lakeview records reflect that the former mayor met with Mike White of SERMA and Sen. Allen in September of 2018.

 

  1. Because the management of the City of Lake View has been erratic and controversial for many years with no positive history of operating a stable municipal government, this annexation may serve to devalue any properties involuntarily annexed. This would negatively impact the citizens of this area who are being given no voice in the matter by Rep. Allen.

 

  1. The citizens and property owners would possibly be forced into the accepting the drastically notorious sewer services of SERMA and Mike White due to the City of Lakeview granting a sewer franchise to SERMA many years ago. The actions of SERMA and Mike White have already resulted in enormous expenses to sewer users and an infamous lawsuit in Federal Court. Homeowners were forced to sue the SERMA sewer system for fraud and other causes which resulted in a $4.7 million jury verdict against the sewer operators. There is no evidence that Lake View has tried to sanction SERMA for the activities that resulted in the jury verdict. Innocent property owners should not be forced under the control of Lake View and SERMA.

 

  1. Tuscaloosa County will suffer the loss of the current 1 cent sales tax to the City of Lakeview.

 

  1. State legislators have opined in the past that the issue of annexation in the Exit 100 area is not one of the Alabama legislature, but is rightly an issue between the Town of Woodstock and the City of Lakeview.

 

  1. This bill would allow the City of Lakeview unfettered access to annex due to contiguity.

 

  1. The Town of Woodstock has willingly served this area and has several properties annexed into the Town of Woodstock by request and consent of property owners.
  2. The Town of Woodstock has consistently invested in the area around Exit 100. To wit:
  3. The Town of Woodstock hauled sewage for the Tuscaloosa County school of Lake View for 6 months while it built a sewer line to serve the school, and provided $100,000 to the school for help with construction costs.
  4. Exit 100 businesses such as Petro, Dollar General and Loves are in the Town of Woodstock’s police jurisdiction. Our officers provide vital protection and service to travelers and business along this busy travel artery.
  5. The Town of Woodstock is seeking bids on a new pump station to serve the Tuscaloosa County school of Lake View and the properties at Exit 100 in our police jurisdiction.
  6. A loss of sales tax from the businesses around Exit 100 could negatively impact Woodstock’s ability to pay for bonds issued to finance the construction of  sewer infrastructure.

 

The details of this matter are just unfolding. We will report further as this matter works it way through the current session of the Alabama Legislature. If you have concerns about this matter being addressed in our legislature you should call your current legislator and express your opinion now. If you live in Bibb County your representative is listed below.

 

Senator April Weaver (SD-14)

Montgomery Office:

719 Alabama State Capitol
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: 334-261-0886

Alabaster Office:

P.O. Box 1749
Alabaster, AL 35007
Phone: 205-620-6610

Representative Russell Bedsole (HR-49)

524-E Alabama State House
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: 334-261-0500

Representative Ralph Howard (HD-72)

534-A Alabama State House
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: 334-261-0559

Greensboro Office:

P.O. Box 360
Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: 334-624-1887

 

 

 

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