Annex It

I agree with Mayor Keck on the need for Somerset to annex some surrounding area.

I've been writing on this topic for a few years now and I am gratified to see one of our leaders take up the challenge. It will not be easy. Our friends and neighbors are quite reluctant to change anything and a significant number like things just the way they are and if you could go back about 50 years that would even be better.

But when it comes to cities if you ain't growing then you're slowing and Somerset is no exception. When I was a kid when we came to town there was a sign right at the top of Harvey's Hill on North Main Street that announced the city limits and a population of just under 10,000. It hasn't changed much in the intervening decades.

If citizens want services then someone has to pay for them. If you want more services then you have to pay more. Truth is, you're going to have to pay more just to stay even due to inflationary pressures and a tax base with no growth. Previous administrations have brought phenomenal growth to services but, as far as I know, the natural gas service is the only one that has brought financial growth to the city budget. Perhaps I am in error but not by much.

Mayor Keck says that he intends to hold town hall meetings in the areas that he will propose be annexed and that is a fair and transparent way to do things. Kudos to the Mayor and his advisors. I don't expect the county Magistrates and residents to be too thrilled with the idea but I hope that patience and negotiation will win the day.

Personally, I would like to see Somerset annex the entire area from Slate Branch Road to West 80 all the way to the lake. This would open up a vast area to tourism development to the extent that the Corps of Engineers would allow. Having a Congressman like Hal Rogers as a resident could be a great asset there. I would envision access from the lake to entertainment venues and restaurants. Such a development could make Somerset the go to spot on the lake. Burnside already has this advantage but seems to be reluctant to seize the opportunity.

County residents enjoy some low tax rates that would rise with annexation into the city limits but, at the same time, would be eligible for benefits like fire protection, sewer, policing, etc. Mayor Keck says all of those may not be available immediately but I believe that residents could expect to see advances in those areas. A greater population also increases the bonding capacity for the city which would allow Somerset greater leeway in construction of public projects and would also make the area more attractive to businesses looking for a place to locate. When businesses relocate they are not only looking for low costs but also at the entertainment, arts and dining opportunities. Those executives don't live in a vacuum.

Why on earth should a county resident be excited about being annexed into the city with it's attendant increased tax burden. Truthfully, many won't be but I encourage citizens to look at the issue as participants in a larger vision for our area. Already we see too many of our young people have to move away to find work that will allow them to realize their dreams and we need ways to encourage them to stay and be of service to their home areas. Household income in Appalachia (did you know that we're in Appalachia) is roughly half what it is in other more prosperous areas. If we want to be able to earn a living in a new economy that is not based on extraction industries then we need to look to what is possible.

I have often said that as Somerset goes, so goes the County. That is reason enough for County residents to be excited about future prospects. The benefits won't accrue to the City only but also to the County. Witness the industry being located at Hwy. 80 and Hwy. 461. Those projects would be unlikely were it not for the City of Somerset being able to provide sewer and natural gas. The advantages that Somerset provides to attract industry is substantial and without the city very few of them would locate here. Many of you either work at those places or have relatives that do. Consider what things would look like without those places.

People are afraid of seeing taxes go up but even more they fear losing total control over the property that they own. Very likely annexation would bring some zoning but I can assure you that property values go up when your property is protected from negative neighbors. In additon, in an appeal to your civic spirit, just think of where all that sewage that is put into septic systems is going. In a karst and cave geology into the ground water is the only place it can go. We really have to do better about tending to the places we live. Humans are one of the very few animals that will foul their own nest.

My Take is this. If you want to have jobs and infrastructure then you need to get on board and be part of the solutions or get left behind. If you want to leave a healthy place to live to your grandchildren then join in. Join in and help decide where Somerset/Pulaski County is going or just sit back a gripe when it moves on without you.