Opinion ID: 1124080
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: other factors affecting reasonableness

Text: In Matter of Boundaries of City of Jackson, 551 So.2d at 868, this Court concluded that becoming substantially landlocked by surrounding incorporated communities is a factor to be considered in determining reasonableness. In Western Line Consolidated School District v. City of Greenville, 465 So.2d 1057, 1059 (Miss. 1985), appeal after remand, City of Greenville v. Farmers, Inc., 513 So.2d 932 (Miss. 1987), this Court stated that an unreasonable annexation is an unfair one and, as fairness is the foundation of equity, an annexation cannot be both unreasonable and equitable. The chancellor concluded that Horn Lake has a very low per capita income tax and allowing Southaven to annex the area west of I-55 would thwart the development of Horn Lake's commercial tax base. This finding ignores the fact that from 1988 to 1989, Horn Lake's sales tax revenues increased some sixty-five (65%) percent. Corrine Fox, the expert planning witness for Horn Lake, did conclude that if Southaven is allowed to annex west of I-55, this would be a means of cutting off Horn Lake's growth in that direction. She added that, It still would not prohibit Horn Lake from taking in DeSoto Woods, but it would block Horn Lake to the east along Church Road and south along Church Road if, in fact, Southaven were permitted to annex that territory that they are seeking west of the interstate. Fox also concluded that the lack of available commercial land really does not play into any need to expand that Horn Lake has. In addition, she noted that Horn Lake's needs are for residential land. Fox claimed that there are other areas to the south and north that are not contested by Southaven and that, from a planning perspective, could better provide Horn Lake with available land for residential development. Mike Bridges testified that the area Horn Lake presently has available for commercial growth is more desirable for commercial development than the territories that Horn Lake proposes to annex. Bridges concluded that Horn Lake does not have a present need to expand outside of its current municipal boundaries, and if Horn Lake is allowed to expand into its proposed annexation area, this annexation would retard growth in the proposed area. It is unclear whether the chancellor's prediction that granting Southaven's annexation request, would assure that Horn Lake would remain largely residential with inadequate commercial income to provide its citizens services comparable to cities its size, would materialize. The chancellor's hypothesis is certainly open to contradiction, and based upon the expert testimony from both Southaven and Horn Lake's perspective, he manifestly erred in holding that Horn Lake's commercial growth potential would be blocked by granting Southaven's request. Even under our limited standard of review, this Court can not give deference to the fact finder on this point. See Bassett, 542 So.2d at 921. While granting this annexation to Southaven will increase its interstate access, it will not landlock Horn Lake. There have been no other factors affecting reasonableness which require the balance of equities and fairness to be weighted in Horn Lake's favor.