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Show By Gary R. Blodgett Just like most decisions made in everyday life, there are pros and cons to any question. If there weren't, it wouldn't be a major decision. One of the major decisions facing residents of south Davis County's unincorporated area of Val Verda is whether or not to consider annexation into Bountiful or North Salt Lake. It's a major decision because there are pros and cons to be considered. It's not a cut-and-dry situation. situa-tion. However, it is a problem to be solved by the majority ma-jority - at least 50 percent of the residents of a neighborhood area who own at least one-third of the property (valuation) within the annexed area being proposed for annexation. But to get to this point, there are a couple of major steps that must be taken. First, residents of the area being considered for annexation must petition peti-tion the city (either Bountiful or North Salt Lake) for annexation. The city can not reach out and pull you and your property into an incorporated community. This means that you, as residents of Val Verda, must actively seek annexation by signing a petition requesting that your property be annexed into the city. However, the city into which you petition annexation annexa-tion must be continguous to the (Val Verda) area being considered. If the area seeking annexation is contiguous to Bountiful , the petition for annexation Q must be made to Bountiful. The same is true for North Salt Lake and if the area is bordered by both cities, you have a choice. Now that problem is solved, residents seeking annexation should know what the pros and cons are of being annexed into Bountiful or North Salt Lake . Is it worth it? Is it what you really want to do? Like I said in the beginning, there are advantages and disadvantages to annexation and there are advantages and disadvantages to annexing to one or the other city which borders the unincorporated area. It's a myth that either city will "swallow you up and then spit you out" following annexation. Once annexed into either city, you will have the same rights , privileges and problems of that city. You will no longer be Val Verda. You will be bona fide residents resi-dents of that city to which you annex. Some fear that they will be an area without (council) representation in city government. This is not true not if you don't let it. Nominate a candidate candi-date for mayor and city council, and then support those candidates in the city election. Some things will remain unchanged through annexation. anne-xation. Others will not. Culinary water and sewer treatment services will remain unchanged with South Davis Water Subcon-servancy Subcon-servancy District continuing its water service and South Davis Sewer Treatment District still offering sewage treatment. Most addresses will remain the same, coming off the Bountiful street address system . If the annexation annexa-tion is into North Salt Lake, street numbering will change to the North Salt Lake address system. The major difference will be the cost of electrical power. Bountiful, with its city-owned Bountiful Power and Light Department, can offer power rates sub- ; stantially below that of Utah Power and Light Company Com-pany about 50 percent lower. Val Verda is pre- sently served by UP&L, as is North Salt Lake, and there would be no difference in rates to those annexing to North Salt Lake. Otherwise, street repairs, snow removal, police and fire protection , recreation , etc . , will be services offered by the community to which an area is annexed . Street repairs and street lighting projects may take a little time to be enacted into a nearly annexed area. Other services especially police and fire protection would begin immediately upon formal adoption of the annexation request. Property taxes are slightly higher in Bountiful than in North Salt Lake. But Bountiful officials argue that the difference in tax costs is more than offset by the reduced power rate paid each month. Basically, total costs are pretty much the same in Q the two incorporated cities - and very little different diffe-rent than total tax and service costs being paid in the unincorporated area. ; I have been through these arguments -- of r whether or not Val Verda residents should annex -for about a quarter of a century, and I believe that the time has arrived for annexation. For the first time since I can remember, Davis County Commission has publicly announced that annexation may be the best solution. County costs are rising annually and commissioners are honest enough to come out and say, "they may rise again-soon. again-soon. " |