11 Comments
author
Mar 23, 2023·edited Mar 23, 2023Author

I don't have a strong opinion on this topic but rather a general observation. Annexation efforts usually fail for two reasons:

1) The county has nothing to gain from giving up control of these areas, so it usually demands significant financial concessions that make it a losing proposition for the annexing agency (i.e. the city).

2) Many residents tend to prefer the status quo, despite its drawbacks, because they fear that the alternative will be worse for them (largely a refection of human nature).

Would it make more sense practically and governmentally for these random pockets of land to be merged into the city of Martinez? Yes. Will it ever happen? Probably not.

Ultimately, most residents aren't nearly engaged enough with the inner workings of their local governmental agency, be it city or county, to move an arcane issue like this forward.

Expand full comment
Mar 23, 2023·edited Mar 23, 2023

Annex. has been introduced over the years & gone down as many times based on the residents as to the city retreating over this narrative, or LAFCO & the County not approving it after neighbors and City did. Our water bills might rise was from the previous study & as reported here, taxes would move in some ways, (maybe new taxations, maybe not, that isn't very clear by their report). As to sidewalks & gutters, etc. in the past we have been assured that we would be "grandfathered in" and no new issues would come to us. But as to being too expensive for the City, some time ago the City incorporated many additional parts of Shell Oil refinery (& purposefully overlooked the surrounding neighborhoods) which has been bringing huge advantage to City coffers without bringing ANY improvement to the areas directly under the stacks. We gave up our neighborhood fire station (to the interest of the city residents to keep theirs) because City residents refused to raise their property taxes by $25 a year. We gave up our neighborhood elementary school so MUSD could build a new school out at Morello (a smaller residential area than ours). City residents- don't listen to this "it would be too expensive for us" narrative as we (& our children) are not only disenfranchised, we are paying to support the City of Martinez in ways residents and consultants apparently don't realize. Why didn't they study the area of Shell that is in the City limits & paying additional property taxes to support the area that we don't get? Why not make sure to add any areas of the refinery left inside the County & include that tax base when eliciting the old narrative about expense? & many times our streets have been in much better shape than City streets, matter of scheduling. We are served by the same sewer system and yet the replacement of aging insufficient sewer lines have largely gone to streets inside the City limits. It's time to demand answers from our utilities as to why we pay the same but don't get the same support or infrastructure like schools and sewers!! & I wish I didn't have to remind people, we are Martizians too and centuries long volunteers improving the communities for all. We are in this together and there is a long way to go before we feel welcomed, even after all of the sacrifices we have ALREADY made. I say send your consultants back to the design table!! And if City residents stop speeding down our unincorporated streets getting to their schools we would greatly appreciate it.

Expand full comment

It’s a shame annexation didn’t take place many many years ago. People have to rely on the county for everything instead of the city. Thanks for the report, Craig.

Expand full comment

Timing was everything thirteen years ago when the prospects for annexation weren't nearly as bleak as this report suggests. Yes, the residents of many of these areas lack direct representation and absolutely reflect the socioeconomic and demographic disparities the CVRA was supposed to be intended for, but the 'protest vote' mentioned above doesn't necessarily mean area residents, but property owners. At this point I can't see annexation in the cards.

Expand full comment
Mar 22, 2023·edited Mar 22, 2023

The short term activist has other interest. And is short sighted. The county controls the funds that the special interest asserts . And Federal Glover, the county supervisor, does directly represent those areas. Also look into at least one conflict on the council. Family business interest in the study area. Let’s not bankrupt the city. For philosophical political interest.

Expand full comment