Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

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Annexation reared its head again in 1999, making it one of the biggest stories of the year in Gurdon .

Talk of annexation began in February with the city council looking to annex the Gurdon Primary School and a section including Rose Hedge Cemetery into the city limits.

Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith said this had to be done by Dec. 31, 1999, in order for those annexed to be counted in the 2000 census. Otherwise, he said, the city would have to provide all services and receive no benefits in state turnback funds.

These funds are not new taxes, but monies from taxes people have already paid in and are paying now. They are turned back to communities based on population in the amount of about $62 per person. Of this, $40 is earmarked for street work, with the remaining money being placed into the city's general fund.

At the February meeting, City Marshal David Childres said he'd like to see Gurdon High School annexed into the city, though Smith had earlier stated this was not the city's intention at the time.

Those in the Taylor-Dairy area were asking the city to be annexed in and getting petitions signed by residents who would be affected.

GPS, Smith said, could be annexed by an ordinance of the city.

However, Smith said, if anyone on Highway 67 did want to be annexed into the city limits, the city would help.

Talk of annexation came up again in the May meeting of the council, with the city's governing body discussing bringing GPS and Rose Hedge Cemetery into the city limits.

City Attorney Taylor King drew up a timetable to get the property involved annexed into the city.

He informed the council it would take about four months to complete the process.

Smith brought up the fact several people had expressed an interest in the city annexing the area with GHS .

The city had used an election method to try and annex this property into the city limits in 1996, but the measure was heavily opposed and failed 404-397 in a special election.

Smith said if the area was to be annexed into Gurdon the petition method would have to be used as the city would not get involved with another election on the matter.

He added if this wasn't done before 12-31-1999, he would fight to see the area along Highway 67 did not get annexed into the city.

At the June meeting of the panel, Councilman Karen Parker brought the issue up again, saying GHS and Cabe Middle School needed to be part of the city.

It was pointed out an ordinance for annexation would take three readings, and the council would not be asked to do this in one night as the people living there needed to have their say.

Few voiced an opinion, with even less being negative about being annexed into the city.

Parker said her reason for pushing the annexation issue was to get police protection for GHS and CMS.

At the time, neither school was under the protection of the Gurdon Police Department as they were outside the city limits.

It was also pointed out there would be no police protection during home football games as the new stadium was under construction at the time along Hwy. 67.

The council decided to go with an annexation vote for those on Hwy. 67 after all.

The annexation ordinance was read for a second time during a special meeting held June. 21, with the special election scheduled for Aug. 31.

The ordinance was read the final time on June 28. It was approved by the council with the election date confirmed.

At the June 28 meeting, about a dozen people showed and voiced their concerns.

Questions were asked about why no petition had been circulated, with Smith saying no resident in the area would volunteer, though a straw poll showed there was strong interest in the annexation.

Smith also said if the two schools weren't where they are, he could personally care less about annexing this area into the city limits. "We're not looking at this as a way of gaining revenue for the city," he said.

Several people complained they would have to pay the city's 5.4 mill tax if annexed into the city limits. It was pointed out this would amount to $54 per year on a home valued at $50,000.

Residents were told of the benefits of being in the city limits, including lowered rates on their homeowners fire insurance as they would be protected by the Gurdon Fire Department.

They were also informed they wouldn't have to pay for fire calls by living within the city limits. When the GFD travels outside Gurdon the homeowner is charged $500 for the truck and $25 per man fighting the fire.

The savings in insurance premiums, he said, could be as much as $300.

In July, the Rose Hedge Cemetery and Taylor-Dairy Road property was officially annexed into the city limits.

This was done at a hearing headed by Clark County Judge Floyd "Buddy" Manning.

For the other annexation issues it was a case of hurry up and wait, as the city had to follow a time-line for the special election and prepare the ordinance for annexing GPS into the city.

When election time rolled around, voters showed their approval at 259-200, bringing the Hwy. 67 area into the city limits, along with the two schools.

At the September meeting of the council, a public meeting was held concerning annexing GPS into the city. However, no one showed up.

A legal description of the property was read to an empty meeting room, with only council and media present.

The council later approved an ordinance officially annexing GPS into the city limits, bringing the total annexations to three for the year.