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How things have changed over time:
Comments from city officials BEFORE the first public meeting:
If the city annexes all of the requested property, it must annex the additional study area along Old Fort Parkway and to the north due to Tennessee case law that dictates property in the county can’t be completely surrounded by property in the city limits. Annexing all of the requested property into the city would cause the additional area to become an island of county property in the city limits, which causes confusion for emergency personnel and is against state case law.
- DNJ 7.12.2006
Comments made AFTER the first public meeting:
According to city officials, if the city annexes all of the requested property, it must annex the additional study area along Old Fort Parkway and to the north due to Tennessee case law that dictates property in the county can’t be completely surrounded by property in the city limits.
- DNJ 7.12.2006
Uncovering the TRUTH to the law:
"It is difficult to know what is right and what is wrong," said Harry Green, executive director of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. "There are always people that are going to be unhappy being annexed. This island would cause a disconnect in the city's ability to provide such services as police and fire protection to its residents.
But islands aren't against the law, Green said. They just don't make good planning sense.
Murfreesboro officials agree it isn't good planning.
Mayor Tommy Bragg said the city's policy to annex only property that had been requested has been a good policy up to this point. There really wasn't a real need to annex these residents in the Blackman and Salem communities until now.
- DNJ 7.17.2006
From "State law" . . . to the "City's policy":
(Murfreesboro planning director Joseph) Aydelott said it has been the city of Murfreesboro's policy at least since he started work here 22 years to avoid the creation of islands that cause a disconnect in city services.
- DNJ 7.20.2006
(Murfreesboro) City officials maintain the city has a long-standing policy that forbids islands disconnecting residents from city services.
- DNJ 7.26.2006
Now . . . just "Trying to do the right thing!"
"The city is trying to do the right thing by encompassing those areas that are lying in the city limits," (Mayor Tommy) Bragg said.
- DNJ - 7.31.2006
Day of Reckoning?
"This is a day of reckoning in the sense that it has been coming for long time and it just finally got the point where we needed to address it," Aydelott said.
- The Sidelines - 9.7.2006
Their tune has changed, but our song has remained the same.
Keep up the fight.