MILTON, W.Va. — Milton Mayor Tom Canterbury admits annexing homes and businesses into the city limits will increase the property taxes on those property owners. However, he points out the move also increases the value of the property by lying within city limits.
The town is looking to expand its borders. Canterbury said it’s more of a move to correct some boundary problems the city currently experiences.
“The boundaries here now are really messed up. I was just trying to true-up the corners,” he said. “Also, in the city right now there’s a big doughnut hole in the middle that is not in the city limits, but all the way around it is.”
The Mayor said that doughnut hole is likely the result of political gamesmanship from many decades ago as the city was founded and grew. Still he thinks those lying in an unincorporated area within the boundaries of the city limits makes for poor municipal management.
“If a guy has a business and a guy has a business right across the road from him,” he said. “One’s in and one’s out, how do you explain that.”
The other area the city is looking to annex is east to within about 300 yards of the boundary of the unincorporated community of Culloden. Many in that part of the area are against the idea, but the Mayor said 75 percent of those who have raised a fuss about it won’t be part of it to begin with. The proposed annexation would also give the city jurisdiction for the road only on Route 60 al the way to the Cabell/Putnam County line.
“Ninety percent of the people over there already have our city water and city sewer. They have all the city service,” he said. “What can we offer them today? Not very much because they already have it.”
He did point out the residents would enjoy city police protection, city garbage service, and a spring cleanup. The Mayor said the annexation would add just over 1,000 residents and approximately 450 properties to the city. As for the cost of annexation he said a dollar a month municipal fee would be leveled and property taxes would increase.
The matter will be proposed to the Cabell County Commission May 14 at 10 a.m.