Palmer Annexation Strategy
Project Date: 2009 – 2010
Lead:Heather Stewart
Client: City of Palmer
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Project Description
The City of Palmer is a small city with a large “greater metro area.” Many people who say they are from Palmer, in fact live outside its municipal boundaries, even though they may work, shop, socialize and recreate within city boundaries.
In 2006, the City of Palmer initiated a phased effort to annex surrounding territory. This process included an analysis of annexation's fiscal impacts. The City of Palmer initially concluded that annexation would meet the requirements of the Local Boundary Commission and be in the best interest of the community. However, there was much public opposition to the concept and ultimately the annexation proposal was dropped.
Despite this recent experience, strong reasons remain for considering annexation. These reasons include a more efficient provision of services, the option to add new sources of revenue to pay for public services that all Palmer residents use. Annexation would also allow for the ability to guide the character of future development.
The purpose of this project was to work with area land owners, businesses and residents to investigate and better understand annexation options. The project involved taking a look at the issues associated with past proposed annexations and analyzing the costs and benefits of possible future expansion. The ultimate goal was to create a fair, clear approach to annexation that works well for everyone involved.
Final Documents
Read more about the background of this project:
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