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Thursday, Jul. 22, 2010

Warner Robins annexes more than 100 homes

WARNER ROBINS — The Warner Robins City Council successfully annexed more than 100 homes Wednesday after a second vote on the matter in three days.

To help ease the concerns of residents in the affected subdivisions, city officials previously agreed to a Homestead Exemption for residents older than 65. That passed, too.

“We did hear your voices the other day,” Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen said. “I appreciate you all coming down and being professional about it. We’re also going to hear you when you talk about your stormwater problems. And your traffic problems.”

The council voted 3-2 in favor of the annexation. Councilman Daron Lee was absent, which was pointed out by Councilman Bob Wilbanks just before passage.

“Mayor, I want to remind you that I was chastised by you on several occasions … about making major decisions without the entire council present,” he said.

At issue was a “gentleman’s agreement” that no major decisions would be made without all members of the council present. That agreement has been broken several times during the last year.

The annexation of the residences — from the Hillandale Estates, Sonja Heights, Parkway Estates, Highland Estates and Willow Bend communities, which are islands surrounded by the city — means those residences now will receive city services for police, fire and public works. A lowered insurance rating for fire protection means residents will save money on their homeowners insurance. At Monday’s meeting, residences from the affected subdivisions could only see the increased property taxes — and the way the annexation was handled by the city.

“My problem with the whole thing was we were never given any info on this … ever, up to and prior to the council meetings,” said Highland Estates resident Ron McWilliams. “It wasn’t done in an orderly fashion.”

But as a resident of Warner Robins, he promises to be a visible fixture.

“I did not know their procedures (for the meetings),” McWilliams said. “But now that I know about them, I’ll be at them.”

With the Homestead Exemption, residents older than 65 who have lived in their homes at least five years prior to the annexation will only be taxed for the value of their homes above $60,000. A $100,000 home, for example, would only be taxed $40,000 of its worth.

To contact writer Marlon A. Walker, call 256-9685.