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Wilmington City Council undeterred by rowdy annexation protest

By Patrick Gannon Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 4:08 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 4:08 p.m.

Hundreds of protesters at City Hall Tuesday evening apparently didn’t weaken the resolve of Wilmington City Council to annex about 3,900 people in the Monkey Junction area. In fact, none of the council members polled Wednesday said the public hearing changed their minds.

They said they understand the ire of annexation opponents, but the law leaves them with few options to maintain the long-term financial health of the city.

Tuesday evening, sign-wielding and slogan-chanting protesters packed City Council Chambers during a public hearing on the annexation proposal. Others who didn’t get in because the room was full stood on the City Hall steps and chanted and cheered loud enough to be heard inside.

Opponents argued mainly that involuntary annexation is a form of taxation without representation, that they should be allowed to vote on the issue and that now is the wrong time for governments to add to residents’ tax burdens. They also complained they would have to pay city taxes and fees but would receive few services beyond what they get as county residents.

Dozens of uniformed and undercover officers, as well as a number of firefighters, showed up to keep the peace. Police sharpshooters watched the protesters from downtown rooftops. Police had met with protest organizers beforehand to try to ensure a safe evening.

After the meeting, police escorted council members to their cars. Inside council chambers, Mayor Bill Saffo had to ask the crowd to be quiet several times so the hearing could continue. And after one anti-annexation speaker, the crowd cheered for about 10 minutes until the mayor motioned to police officers to remove them so the show could go on.

Most protesters left peacefully. Two men, who police say didn’t want to leave after being asked to, were charged with disrupting an official meeting. In 26 years as city attorney, Tom Pollard said he’s seen no City Hall protest quite like it. “I cannot remember a crowd, I guess, as boisterous as the one that was there last night,” he said.

The drama, however, apparently didn’t change the minds of council members, who passed a resolution of intent to annex the area in February. Councilman Jim Quinn said the hearing reaffirmed what he already knew: That no one would vote to increase their taxes and that now is a tough time for the city to ask people for more tax dollars. But Quinn remains resolute in his plan to vote for annexation.

Without annexation, taxes will have to go up, city residents will move away and the city will decline, Quinn said. “It’s unfortunate,” he said. “It’s not a happy thing, but I think it’s the right thing.”

Councilman Ron Sparks said he kept a vigilant eye on the crowd, especially those with hands in their pockets, to ensure nobody got hurt. “We have no protection up there on council,” he said. Sparks said the “soccer hooligan” behavior of the crowd overwhelmed the legitimate concerns of those most affected by annexation, such as older residents on fixed incomes. The crowd, he said, seemed determined to intimidate council members into changing their minds.

“They could not have believed that that behavior could have swayed anybody’s opinion,” Sparks said. Sparks said he remains open to finding ways to help those most affected get through the transition.

Councilwoman Margaret Haynes said she is still leaning strongly in favor of annexation. While it has its faults, she said, annexation is the method the state devised to keep cities strong. Without it, the tax rate for existing city taxpayers would have to go up, she said. “My understanding is that this is really the best thing for the people in the city, and that’s who we’re representing,” Haynes said. She added that she was disappointed about what she perceives as a lack of information in the public about the benefits of annexation. “We’ve tried so hard to put it all out there,” she said.

Councilman Earl Sheridan said he has to do what’s best for the taxpayers he was elected to represent. “Nothing I heard last night really changes my mind as far as that is concerned,” he said, adding that annexation is important for maintaining the city’s good bond rating, which allows the city to borrow money at lower rates.

Councilwoman Laura Padgett, who also plans to vote for the annexation, says she empathizes with those on limited incomes who would soon have to pay city taxes. But everyone who benefits from city services and amenities should share the cost, she said. “For each one of those people, there are many people in similar circumstances already paying city property taxes,” she said.

According to city estimates, the owner of a $250,000 property currently pays $1,490 in taxes and solid waste fees. After annexation, the same person would pay $2,305 a year in taxes and fees, or about $814 more. Council members also came back to the sales tax distribution issue. According to city figures, 83 percent of taxable sales in New Hanover County occur within Wilmington city limits. Yet city government, city officials say, receives only about a fifth of the sales tax revenue, with most of the rest going to New Hanover County. That’s because the county decides how sales taxes are distributed, and city officials have been unsuccessful in convincing county officials to change the formula.

Saffo said Tuesday that some council members might think differently about annexation if the city received more sales tax dollars. Meanwhile, some of the Wilmington area’s delegation in Raleigh still hopes to slow down or stop the annexation. Rep. Danny McComas, R-New Hanover, supports several bills introduced in the House that would adversely affect the city’s plans. One would place a moratorium on annexations in New Hanover County. Another would require approval by the county commissioners of any annexation. McComas said he hoped to “slow (the annexation) down and maybe derail it.”

The final vote is scheduled for the May 5 council meeting. Barring legislation or some type of legal challenge, residents in the annexation area could be city residents as soon as June 2010.

Patrick Gannon: 343-2328

patrick.gannon@starnewsonline.com

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