Opinion ID: 1564070
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 36

Heading: Factor 8: The past performance and time element involved in Jackson's provision of services to its present residents.

Text: ¶ 106. Jackson contends that it provides numerous municipal services to its current residents, including: the best-rated fire protection in Mississippi, zoning and planning, police protection, trash collection twice a week, road maintenance, code enforcement, and cultural and recreational services. BI and the Objectors contend Jackson has a history of poor past performance in rendering municipal services, and they cite In re Exclusion of Certain Territory from Jackson; Cole v. City of Jackson ( Exclusion of Certain Territory ), 698 So.2d 490 (Miss.1997), in support of their argument. ¶ 107. In Exclusion of Certain Territory, residents sought deannexation from the City of Jackson. Exclusion of Certain Territory, 698 So.2d at 491. The Court granted deannexation, in part, due to Jackson's poor past performance in rendering services to the area. Id. at 494-95. The Court found: [Jackson] is unable or unwilling to expend the necessary funds to provide the services and infrastructure promised within the area. This is clear in that no action has been taken toward providing sewer services in the area. In addition, the City of Jackson has failed to build the promised fire station. It is clear from the projected cost of providing these services, the City is not likely to provide these services in the near future.... In addition, this Court is greatly concerned with the extreme delay and past performance of the [C]ity in the provision of services to its present residents and to the new residents. Id. at 494-95; see In re Enlargement & Extension of Jackson; Bunch v. City of Jackson, 691 So.2d 978, 984 (Miss.1997) (detailing Jackson's past performance of failing to furnish the promised improvements to the 1976 and 1989 annexed areas). ¶ 108. BI also relies on In re Jackson v. City of Ridgeland to support its contention that Jackson has broken its promise to provide additional police officers to protect Jackson residents. City of Ridgeland, 912 So.2d 961, 969 (Miss.2005). In City of Ridgeland, Jackson sought to annex, and the trial court approved, a certain parcel of land that included the Richmond Grove area and the 220 Business Park. Id. at 964. On appeal, Madison County and the City of Ridgeland contended the trial court erred in allowing Jackson to annex the 220 Business Park, and Jackson argued it was entitled to annex the entire parcel. Id. ¶ 109. Upon a review of the evidence, this Court found: Jackson needs over 230 additional policemen to reach recommended levels of protection according to the Linder/Maple report. Jackson's then-Mayor testified that Jackson does not have enough police officers to meet the needs of Jackson residents. Then-Jackson Police Chief Bracy Coleman testified that Jackson already has a problem with the amount of crime in the city and that the police department was understaffed. ... Jackson's budget of roughly $28 million would require a dramatic increase of approximately $7 million to fund the additional officers. Id. at 969. This Court upheld Jackson's annexation of Richmond Grove but found the trial court committed manifest error in granting the annexation of the 220 Business Park. Id. at 972. ¶ 110. The chancellor found that Jackson had failed to present sufficient proof of the provision of services to previously annexed areas. We agree. This Court evaluates this indicium by looking at the municipality's performance in previous annexations and whether it has provided promised services to its residents. Id. at 969. Jackson failed to present evidence regarding the provision of services to previously annexed areas. Instead, Jackson presented evidence of municipal services it generally provides to all of its residents. The record supports the chancellor's finding that Jackson failed to present sufficient evidence to support this indicium.