The Village of Mahomet will review an annexation policy presented by Village Administration at the Tuesday, June 12 Board of Trustees meeting.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Village Administration Building.
According to Illinois Municipal Code, areas outside of the Village limits, but contiguous to the Village limits, may be annexed into the Village by vote of the Village Board.
A 2016 Village of Mahomet Comprehensive Plan laid out the need for a Village annexation policy to enable broader goals of the Village.
The plan states “annexation is key to growth and the Village of Mahomet boundaries are much smaller than the population and the properties it serves.
“The large population areas within the Mahomet community that are not within the Village boundaries are still served by the roadways, the drainage systems, the parks and recreation facilities, and the property value benefits of good land use planning.”
Locally maintained roads include those within the Village limits, but exclude maintenance on IL-47 and IL-150, as those roads are maintained by the State of Illinois.
By bringing in commercial and residential tax dollars through annexation, Village leaders believe that annexation will “more fairly distribute the costs of services throughout the Mahomet area.”
For years, the Village has talked about the number of Village constituents, 8,400 in 2016, versus the actual local population, roughly 14,000 residents, that use its services, such as local roads and the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department.
The Village also believes that if nationally recognized establishments knew that local resident numbers were higher, they would set up shop in Mahomet, providing commercial tax dollars.
“A general industry rule of thumb is that 12,000 to 15,000 people are a threshold for regional and national franchise retail establishments,” the Comprehensive Plan states.”The official population of the “Village of Mahomet” is much lower than the potential market population.”
Annexing properties contiguous to the Village will also provide additional Motor Fuel tax dollars to the Village.
“Motor Fuel Tax revenue is based on population,” the Comprehensive Plan states. “Motor Fuel Tax monies are to be used for roadway infrastructure projects. The Village proportionally receives less per resident served than the program is intended to provide.”
Within the plan, the Village recognizes that it does not provide services, such as water treatment or sewer services, to all the areas available to annex.
Mahomet has two water treatment facilities, one run by the Village, which serves areas south of I-74, and the other run by the Sangamon Valley Public Water District, which serves areas north of I-74.
The Comprehensive Plan states that the Board should consider “annexation where it is fiscally responsible and mutually beneficial and supported by the Village and impacted unincorporated areas,” and where the Village can “coordinate plans for annexation and development with community service providers to ensure adequate levels of service.”
The policy available within the board meeting packet, states that the Village will look at annexation on a case-by-case basis through guidelines set forth within the policy.
The Village might consider parcels contiguous to municipal boundaries, parcels within Sangamon Valley Public Water District (SVPWD) boundaries, parcels within the Village of Mahomet Water District boundaries, and property that is less than 60 acres and surrounded by the Village corporate limits.
The Village may also enter into binding written agreements with non-contiguous parcel owners if the property is anticipated likely for contiguity within 20 years; contains frontage along roadways and streets in the major street plan of the Comprehensive Plan; or, is located such that its annexation would result in contiguity for another parcel that is obligated to or has requested annexation.
The last major discussion for a Village annexation policy was in 2009 prior to the 2010 census, but at that time no policy was presented.
Annexed properties will be subject to a Village tax and subject to all of the Ordinances of the Village.
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