Another incentive for people to join the city, officials say, is they will no longer pay extra. Sallee said the city intends to renegotiate the interlocal agreement so the annexation clause no longer applies. Another objective is to lower county tax rates for all city residents. Annexation can occur only if the areas contiguous to the city voluntarily petition or if a special vote is called. Previous attempts have yielded mixed results.
Observers say the plan was poorly pitched and entangled in politics.
Annexation has taken some strange twists. In 1991, a development company agreed to merge 800 acres west of the city and near the state archaeological site into the city. The deal was approved by the City Council but no homes were ever built. Several years later, the property was purchased for a state reserve. The state has snatched up valuable land within the city limits as well.