Annexing Twelve Oaks?

Strong opposition to Bowie plan after council’s OK may cause decision to be made at polls

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006

After the Bowie City Council voted 6-to-1 in favor of annexing the Twelve Oaks community Monday, those opposed to the move presented the council with a petition that could force the city to call a referendum on the proposal.

If it is determined that the petition contains signatures from at least 20 percent of the community’s registered voters, then the city will hold a referendum.

City Manager David Deutsch said that state law requires that a referendum occur within 90 days of receipt of the petition.

‘‘Most likely the Board of Supervisors of Elections will be counting the votes, but that’s not a definite as of yet,” Deutsch said.

Mayor G. Frederick Robinson said that anyone in the community who is a registered voters and homeowner will be allowed to vote.

If a referendum is required, it would be the first time a Bowie annexation decision would have been decided by voters.

Typically, the council only annexes neighborhoods where 60 to 70 percent of the community’s registered voters has signed a petition in favor of the move. Only signatures of registered voters are counted. Over 100 residents signed the pro-annexation petition, according to Twelve Oaks resident Clyde Boykins. There are 125 homes in Twelve Oaks, and Stewart Street, a resident and one of the leaders in the anti-annexation movement, said 93 residents in the community signed his petition, which calls on the council to enact a referendum.

Literature was distributed to residents claiming that if annexed, their taxes could go up on average by $700 per year, and city officials have acknowledged their property taxes will increase but did not specify the amount.

Councilman Jack Jenkins was the only council member to vote against the annexation.

‘‘I’m not anti-growth and have historically supported annexation,” Jenkins said. ‘‘I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now because we’re in the process of establishing a new police department, and it doesn’t make sense to grow our city faster than our police force.”

Jenkins also said that in all his years on the council, he had never seen a community as split as Twelve Oaks about a decision.

Jenkins commended the Twelve Oaks residents for remaining civil toward one another despite a difference in opinion.

During the council meeting, several residents spoke against and in favor of Twelve Oaks being annexed by Bowie.

The first speaker, resident Olivia Daniels, said that she is against annexation and would vote against it in a referendum.

‘‘I feel that many residents were misinformed,” Daniels said. ‘‘A lot of them did not realize that the petition they signed was a pro-annexation petition. They thought it was a petition for the community to look into annexation as an option.”

In response to these claims, Twelve Oaks resident Mike Watson, who is pro-annexation, said he had never heard anything like that from any of his neighbors.

‘‘We contacted the folks who signed the pro-annexation petition,” Watson said. ‘‘All of them were still on board for it.”

Watson also said that the petition was no longer than six or seven sentences and is straightforward and not at all misleading.

‘‘Everyone in Twelve Oaks has seen these documents hundreds of times ever since we first began discussing annexation five years ago,” Watson said. ‘‘I feel like the truth was stretched during the hearing as I have not seen any evidence my neighbors feel like they were lied to.”

Street said he is against annexation because he feels that the community already receives the services Bowie offers.

‘‘It was obvious during our community’s Oct. 11 meeting that the community as a whole is not interested in being annexed,” Street said.

Street also said that he hopes the city stops the annexation process until the Twelve Oaks community is not so divided and everyone is in agreement.

Several residents on the pro-annexation side said that when they first moved to their neighborhood, they thought Twelve Oaks was a part of Bowie.

Resident Frank Tolson said there were several advantages that Twelve Oaks would have in becoming a part of Bowie.

Tolson said advantages include weekly trash removal, neighborhood tree trimming on a regular basis, priority when it comes to snow plows, facilities and programs for community youth and seniors, street and sidewalk maintenance, and the combined protection of the Bowie and Prince George’s County police departments.

‘‘As for taxes going up as a part of annexation, I ask that the council consider giving Twelve Oaks a three- to five-year tax adjustment period,” Tolson said.

Watson said he expects there will be extensive campaigns on both sides of the issue and that Twelve Oaks will be holding another meeting to discuss the council’s decision in the near future.

Staff Writer Jason Flanagan contributed to this article.

E-mail Wendy McConnell at wmcconnell@gazette.net.