-Franzi's Corrolary

There's a small annexation into Oro Valley proceeding just north of La Cholla Air Park. (Disclaimer: I live there.) There's a larger one proposed by the latest Imperialist Mayor of Tucson consisting of the entire unincorporated Foothills.

Impetus for the one into OV came from an absentee land owner. Some neighbors, mostly newbys, bought into it. Paving Turtledove Lane and securing water (we're all on our own wells) are the supposed advantages - similar to the dance performed for the air park when OV sucked them in earlier. The water deal is a mirage, and many of us like dirt roads. We've since discovered OV staff wants an alternate route for Oracle Road through the Tortolitas. Guess where?

I checked the map with Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. We determined that combined with some other gerrymandered annexations, this is the only place OV could run any of the new roads it wants. Not only the big one, but connectors to new subdivisions east and north, over Turtledove and down Hawk Canyon Road. Hope the nice folks who built great houses on that corner will like the traffic.

Like other annexations, towns and cities have paid hustlers collecting petition signatures. They need a majority of both the residents and the property owners. The town then announces a public hearing. It's a sleazy method that allows proponents an unopposed stealth operation and makes many people unknowing conscripts.

When annexation bureaucrats from any jurisdiction blow smoke at folks about the benefits involved, I recall that great scene in "The Wild Bunch" where they have a wagon full of hot rifles and a guy with a big sombrero fronting for some bandidos who tells them "Just give us the guns. We are your friends."

In other words: Trust us. Just give us your rights-of-way.

When cities and towns court big developers they get something called a pre-annexation agreement putting promised conditions in writing and making them legally binding. Mere citizens/subjects get unenforceable promises that if made in the private sector would be considered fraud.

Marana's famous annexation running miles down I-10 to Orange Grove Road through square miles of vacant land to all that sales tax revenue along the Thornydale and Ina roads corridor is a great example of how irresponsible the annexation laws are. Marana grabbed the sales taxes without having to provide any services to the folks who pay them. (That may not be a bad deal. Many of us would pay OV to just go away, like with Danegeld or Mordida.)

Towns want more revenue. Biggest current sources are sales taxes and construction fees. They don't want people. People use up revenue. In California, this is an art form, with large paper towns like Industry and Irwindale with virtually no population.

Arizona towns want vacant land where housing and shops are planned, partly for the sales taxes and partly for the construction fees charged to builders. That's why OV wants annexation into Pinal County. Annexations also rarely benefit current residents.

Enviros and others, me included, wrongly pushed for impact fees. Their unintended consequence is a vicious cycle of growth for the sake of collecting the fees, spawning whatever brings in the most money. When towns run out of vacant land, they use eminent domain to acquire land already in use to secure higher fees and sales taxes. That's what the Supreme Court's Kelo decision was about and why the Arizona League of Cities and Towns likes it. Ultimately there'll be property and other taxes in OV and Marana as new fee sources evaporate. Oro Valley already wants a utility tax.

Once Tucson offered annexation benefits like free fire and garbage services. Free garbage is history. Fire district property taxes are currently higher than the city's but not guaranteed to stay that way.

Foothills residents should diligently watch for annexation hustlers. They sometimes wear big sombreros.

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EMIL FRANZI

EMAIL FRANZI

BUT WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

About Emil Franzi

Emil Franzi is the owner and host of "Inside Track" on KVOI - 690AM and KAPR - 930AM in Douglas. The program airs on Saturdays from 12 pm till 5 pm.

Franzi currently writes a weekly column for the EXPLORER (formerly the NORTHWEST EXPLORER). He filled the TUCSON WEEKLY with close to a million relevant words from 1993 to 2004 and was an OpEd regular with the Az Daily Star from 1994 to 1998. His writing has also appeared in PHOENIX Magazine, ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, and the late CITY MAGAZINE in Tucson.

But then, Franzi is an iconoclast.

This website is Franzi's baby, put together with work, faith, and a little help from his friends, like Tom Danehy, Joyce Downey and Mike Tully. The concept -- politics, books, humor, the Old West, movies, "Pet Talk" and letters -- is Emil's. This unique brew seems to work. This website averages more than a thousand "hits" a day and keeps growing.

You can read Emil Franzi's views on all things political and cultural, as well as opposing views, on our "Politics and More" page.