EDITORIAL: Doughnut holes

July 29--The subject of annexation has long frustrated property owners and municipal officials alike.

Is it a land grab by cities hungry for more revenue from property taxes?

Or is it the extending of a helping hand to areas that may lack the modern services that municipal governments can provide?

And, the question for all homeowners and business owners in districts targeted for annexation, just how much is it going to cost?

As the City of Beckley works to consolidate its borders by attempting to annex various "doughnut hole" areas adjacent to city limits, these questions are being raised once again.

Will taxes go up? Almost certainly, yes.

But other factors come into play that lessen that financial cost, and may even on-balance reduce a property owner's total annual expenditure on his or her property.

Beckley city officials say they believe those property tax increases will be offset by lower insurance rates due to the better firefighting capabilities of a full-time municipal department.

Most of the areas in the annex equation are covered by volunteer fire departments, a not uncommon situation in the United States. In fact, about 70 percent of the fire departments nationwide are volunteer, with committed men and women giving up their time for training and firefighting, as well as risking their lives to help their neighbors.

Our communities owe them a great deal.

Nevertheless, volunteer departments which are mostly in rural places generally have larger coverage areas, and response times can be slower. In addition, even the best volunteer departments often find it more difficult to fund the purchase of up-to-date firefighting equipment.

Beckley officials and local insurance agents made a strong case for annexation this week in The Register-Herald.

The Beckley Fire Department is a Class 3 department, a ranking that places it in the top 2 percent of fire departments in the state, and among the top 7 percent nationally.

Shelia Bailey with Songer Insurance told The Register-Herald that rates for a homeowner without coverage from a Class 3 fire department can be two and a half times higher.

So as homeowners and business owners in the doughnut holes outside the City of Beckley make their calculations as to the benefits of annexation, we urge them to look beyond the initial property tax increase that will come with it.

In many cases, the actual value of one's property can increase with the addition of city services, including faster firefighting response times.

We think property owners and the City of Beckley both come out winners.

___

(c)2014 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)

Visit The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.) at www.register-herald.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services