Would proposed annexation bill be a job killer?

I support Johnson City Mayor Ralph Van Brocklin in his well-founded request to have state Sen. Rusty Crowe withdraw legislation to revise the annexation law. Why? The answer is jobs. If municipalities hold referendums on whether to be annexed, the people affected will vote no solely to avoid additional city taxes. Future annexations will not succeed, and as the mayor said, “… will negatively impact growth that brings new amenities and services to our community.”Fewer amenities and services means a lower quality of life. This in turn equates to fewer jobs, because attracting good companies and attracting and maintaining a skilled, well-paid work force is intricately linked to a community’s physical and social characteristics — otherwise known as its quality of life. So will this bill be a job killer, or do you agree with state Rep. Matthew Hill, who was quoted in the Press on March 27 as saying: “Thankfully this year we are finally doing away with this unjust process and giving people the final say in whether a municipality can annex property”?I for one agree with the mayor and Brent Long, the developer planning new downtown loft apartments, who told the Press: “I’ve got three children, ages 2, 6 and 8. They’re going to grow up, and I want downtown to be the kind of place they would want to live in. They can move to other places if they want to, but I don’t want it to be because there aren’t any opportunities for them here.”I wanted to give my four boys that choice but they could not find good jobs — jobs that did not exist and may never exist in Johnson City if we keep supporting this type of job-killing legislation. What about the rest of you parents, how do you feel?BERNARD HANLEYJonesborough



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