Mayor Charles Snapp announced the following information concerning efforts by city leaders to consolidate College City into the City of Walnut Ridge. Snapp outlined the process in which both meetings, petitions and formal voting will occur to merge the two cities into one.
An event to launch the consolidation effort of College City and Walnut Ridge will be held Tuesday morning at Williams Baptist College. Officials from both cities and WBC will be on hand to sign the first petitions calling for an election to consolidate College City into Walnut Ridge. The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in Swaim Administration Building, which is the first building on the left as you pass through the main entrance of Williams. It is the building with the dome and rotunda.
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Mayor Snapp went on to layout Points of Interest and a General Timeline of Events as follows:
Points of interest that have been discussed:
1. Walnut Ridge currently owns, operates and maintains the water and sewer system in college City.
2. Walnut Ridge currently provides fire protection to College City.
3. Walnut Ridge collects the trash collection fees for College City and send the money back to them to pay a private hauler.
4. In recent years Walnut Ridge has handled the mosquito spraying services for College City.
5. Walnut Ridge city limits currently touch College City at multiple points.
6. This is a consolidation effort outlined under ACA 14-40-1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205 and others.
Here’s the general timeline predicted …
a. Signatures for petitions from College City and Walnut Ridge gathered, requesting a special election for consideration of the consolidation of the two cities.
b. Petitions presented to City Clerk of each town for verification of 15% of the number of voters in the last mayoral election for the particular town.
c. Signatures verified and presented to council ACA 14-40-1201 (b)(1)(A) provides that “council shall pass an ordinance in favor of annexation and approving the petition”
d. If council fails to pass the ordinance required, interesting parties can file for a writ of mandamus to require the performance of (b)(1)(A).
e. Special election called for at the expense of the larger of the two cities.
f. If election passes in both towns, Ward boundary lines will be redrawn to equally distribute the property values and population of College City for equal representation in an existing ward in Walnut Ridge.
g. August, 2016, residents of College City and Walnut Ridge will file for alderman positions based on the Ward the residents live in.
h. November general election, residents of both Walnut Ridge and College City will both vote in the Walnut Ridge election.
I. 11:59 p.m. December 31, 2016 College City will cease to exist. All assets and liabilities of College City will belong to Walnut Ridge.
j. Alderman seats elected in November will be sworn in as officials of the city of Walnut Ridge at 12:01 January 1, 2017..
As near as I can determine, this consideration has been discussed for well over two decades. By signing a petition, registered voters are giving the option to the residents of both towns to consolidate and prepare for the future together, as a one united town, or drop the issue and move forward as the independent communities we are.
No matter what your personal feeling may be about the consolidation, it is a monumental moment in the history of the two towns and I would encourage everyone to attend.
For more information on the City of Walnut Ridge visit www.cityofwalnutridge.com .