KEARNS -- Kearns and West Jordan continue to quarrel over 800 acres of revenue-generating houses in the Oquirrh Shadows subdivision.
The Kearns Improvement District Monday refused to withdraw its protest of the annexation before the Salt Lake County Boundary Commission. That means it will disregard an agreement with West Jordan intended to soothe hard feelings over the annexation.The agreement would have allowed the district to continue providing water and sewer services to the estimated 2,500 households, plus future population, for 50 years.
But annexation opponents balked at that agreement, saying it's too short-sighted. They argued that the city's annexation threatens to destroy Kearns' chances of becoming a city.
"It cannibalizes our attempts to incorporate," said Alan Anderson, chairman of the Kearns Town Council. That's because the 800-acre subdivision cuts deeply into the tax base.
Rep. Gary Cox, D-Kearns, agreed. "Every time Kearns starts to take steps to incorporate, it's cut off at the pass," said Cox, a West Jordan police lieutenant.
The proposed annexation includes property between 6200 South and 7000 South and from 4800 West to 6200 West. West Jordan approved the annexation petition. And petitioners told the district they should listen to them.
"It's up to the residents to push for annexation," Oquirrh Shadows resident Ron Olson said. "It's not up to the improvement district to stand in the way."
West Jordan City Attorney Greg Curtis agreed.
The Kearns Improvement District is caught up in the political ramifications of whether Kearns should incorporate, rather than how to provide services, Curtis said.
The annexation, however, affects more people than just those in the annexation area, Chairman Royce Gibson told the packed audience at Monday's meeting. It could drive up property values due to lost taxes, he argued.
"It's important that we treat this as a whole rather than let cities carve it up," Gibson said.
The district in October filed a protest over two annexation petitions. Besides the 800-acre Oquirrh Shadows, the district fought a 160-acre parcel whose annexation the Boundary Commission denied. Commissioners said it would cut off Kearns' ability to incorporate.
The improvement district initiated an interlocal agreement with West Jordan in anticipation of the Boundary Commission approval. When it was denied, the district rescinded the agreement. But the district discovered it would have to pay half the estimated $15,000 cost for a feasibility study on the impacts of the proposed annexation. That prompted Monday's meeting to decide whether the protest was worth it.
Officials weren't willing to withdraw it.
To Kurt Walker, who lives in the Oquirrh Shadows subdivision, it's a waste of money.
"That's money that could be spent to provide services," Walker said. "We're happy with the service, we just want to be part of West Jordan."