The city of Warner Robins is in the process of annexing and rezoning a large area of land along the proposed Russell Parkway extension. While it is understandable that some people want the additional services of a city, other people do not desire those services and object to paying for another layer of government. Many of the county residents in the areas around Warner Robins who are being affected by annexation are working couples. They pay many thousands of dollars in state and federal income taxes every year and are tired of having government reaching deep into their pockets to pay for things that they do not want or even approve of. Because of this oppressive tax burden from the state and federal governments, they are very resistant to additional taxes at the local level, and choose to live outside of city boundaries.
Aggressive annexation creates bad blood between neighbors.
When the city intrudes itself into settled areas that are primarily unincorporated county, a very unpleasant situation occurs. As Georgia's annexation laws are written, it is almost impossible for county residents to halt annexations. Suddenly, county residents find that city officials are making all the decisions concerning zoning changes in their neighborhoods. Since the city of Warner Robins has pushed so aggressively into the unincorporated areas, the people who actually live in the neighborhoods around the proposed development are not city voters. The county residents who are the ones most affected by the changes no longer have representation in zoning issues.