Opinion ID: 1564070
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Incorporation of the City of Byram is Reasonable.

Text: ¶ 26. Once a petition for incorporation has been filed with the chancery court, the chancellor must determine whether incorporation is reasonable and required by public convenience and necessity. Miss.Code Ann. § 21-1-17 (Rev. 2007). Furthermore, the chancellor shall have the power ... in granting any such incorporation to grant same in whole or in part by modifying or decreasing the territory to be included within such municipal corporation. Id. When reviewing the chancellor's findings of incorporation, this Court applies the standard of manifest error. City of Pascagoula v. Scheffler, 487 So.2d 196, 200 (Miss.1986). ¶ 27. In his order and opinion, the chancellor set forth and evaluated the fourteen, non-exhaustive factors indicative of reasonableness: (1) whether a proposed area has definite characteristics of a village; (2) whether the residents of the proposed area for incorporation have taken initial steps toward incorporation; (3) whether a nearby city has initiated preliminary proceedings toward annexation; (4) whether there [have] been any financial commitments toward incorporation or annexation proceedings; (5) whether a neighboring city has the prerogative to contest incorporation; (6) whether incorporation affects an existing city within three miles; (7) whether population of [the] area shows an increase and continuity of settlement; (8) whether a community has a separate identity; (9) whether natural geographical boundaries separate an area from other municipalities; (10) whether transportation is affected; (11) whether incorporation will affect the interest of landowners in the affected area; (12) whether cost of operating the municipality is prohibitive; (13) whether an estimated tax base of proposed area will support incorporation; and (14) whether the overall welfare of residents of [the] affected area is improved by incorporation. Id. at 201-02. No one factor per se determines reasonableness, but a consideration of all pertinent factors gives guidance to reach an ultimate conclusion. Id. at 201.