Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register
By a 9-1 vote Tuesday night, the Springfield City Council annexed more than 230 parcels of city-owned land surrounding Lake Springfield. Mayor Jim Langfelder, who proposed the annexation, and a majority of the aldermen contend that the land is city-owned and therefore should be a part of the city.
“The intent and the driving factor is that the city owns the property,” said Langfelder, who argues that the city will do a better job of maintaining the roads and protecting the lake when the land is within city limits. But a few dozen lake residents showed up to the council meeting to express their doubts.
“I understand it’s city property,” said Mike Barton, whose property would be annexed. “But I have confidence that I could come back here in five years from today and the only thing that would be different between now and then is that I would have provided this city with probably an extra $3,500 in tax money. That’s all that’s going to be different.”
Other residents also complained that their property taxes would grow. City budget director Bill McCarty estimated that the increase for a $300,000 home at the lake would be about $16 more per year for a house currently in Rochester Township, $272 more in Ball and $328 more in Woodside.
Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, whose ward includes the lake, was the lone “no” vote. Still, the other nine aldermen ultimately agreed with the mayor and approved the annexation.
“We’ve got to represent our own constituents and city residents,” said Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin.
The council did not vote on the annexation of about 35 properties on Fairview Lane, West Fairview Lane and North Cotton Hill Road that were included in the original proposal because of an error with paperwork. The council will likely vote on those at its next meeting Sept. 6.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 