Commentary by Frank M. Reilly, Mayor, City of Granite Shoals
Be Part of the City of
Granite
Shoals and Its Future
Last November, Granite Shoals residents overwhelmingly
voted by a 2-to-1 margin to become a home rule city.
After adopting our home charter, our city hired a professional interim
city manager, created a board of adjustment, and initiated a beautification
committee.
These positive changes are just a start of a new beginning for the city.
We can better manage our city and its growth with our home rule charter.
Growth is already at our doorstep, and we must properly prepare for it.
In addition to the positive changes, our city council is unified and
forward thinking. Last week the
council unanimously voted to build a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant,
which had been the subject of years of contentious battles in prior city
councils. Our city’s leadership is
committed to the continued improvement of Granite Shoals, and to making us a
stronger, more economically sustainable community.
I am very disappointed that the
Beaver
Island
and Web Isle residents do not see the positive successes that have been made. Yes,
we certainly have more to do, but we need other neighboring subdivisions to
become involved in this progress.
The two island subdivisions have sued Granite Shoals, challenging the
city’s annexation of the islands and attempting to undo the home rule charter
election. The lawsuit will drain
resources from both parties, and the lawyers will be the only people who
benefit. Valuable energy and
money will be wasted just because these people want to undo the city charter
election and avoid paying city property taxes.
The City has made road improvements to these two areas and also upgraded
water lines that serve the islands. The
city recently upgraded the intersection of
Phillips Ranch Road
and
Maple Street
, a primary route for people to reach the islands.
But for the miles of city maintained roads that they drive over to reach
their homes, these people would be landlocked.
The residents of
Beaver
Island
and Web Isle benefit from our water system, our streets, our police protection,
our fire department, and our emergency management services.
They also benefit from our other city departments and services, from code
enforcement to animal control. It is
only fair for all residents to pay for those services.
Whether they like it or not, the island residents are part of the Granite
Shoals community.
Some Granite Shoals residents may not fully understand why the lakefront
residents on
Beaver
Island
and Web Isle filed the lawsuit. This
is the islands’ property owners’ last desperate attempt to stay out of the
city. Once they are annexed under
the home rule charter, they cannot just petition to disannex as they have twice
done before. They would have to
prove that the city is failing in its duty to provide them with city services.
These island residents must someday accept that their property values,
safety, and overall well-being rise and fall with those of the City of
Granite Shoals
. We should not be adversaries.
Instead we should be united to improve our community.
The future of the city and the islands attached to the city depend
upon their mutual strength.
This lawsuit is counterproductive. It
is unfortunate to waste our collective time, money and energy.
Those resources would be better spent building our community.
I again urge the residents of Beaver Island and Web Isle to drop their
lawsuit and join with the City of Granite Shoals and help us make this an even
better community.
I encourage all citizens of Granite Shoals to come to the annexation
hearings at 7:00 p.m. on April 18 and May 2, 2006 at City Hall and express your
support for these annexations. Help
us send a strong message to Beaver Island and Web Isle residents to drop the
lawsuit and become fully participating members of the Granite Shoals community.
_____________________
Reilly is Mayor of the City of Granite Shoals
and an attorney with the law firm of Potts
& Reilly, L.L.P.
