Does Annexation Promotion Go Too Far?

The latest pitch in Mobile's annexation plan has critics saying Mayor Sam Jones is misusing city tax dollars.

Postcards mailed to residents in one of the four proposed annexation zones promotes "free trash collection" this Saturday. The problem is city tax dollars and city workers will be used to pick up the county trash.

"My first thought was take care of your own first," says Bobbie Graham, who lives on LaCoste Road. "My second thought was that this is sorta like a bribe, or whatever you want to call it, to get votes for annexation."

Graham lives in the Moffett Road area of the annexation plan, and she says she'll vote "no" on Oct. 7.

The mayor's office declined to talk to News Five on camera, but insisted what the city is doing is completely legal. A spokesperson for the mayor says they held a similar free trash day in Mobile Terrace before it was annexed last spring. In a statement to News Five, Barbara Drummond says "Trash collection is one of the services not provided to the citizens in the proposed annexed area. Like last year, we'd like to educate them on this noteworthy service."

Last week the mayor's office was also forced to defend its use of city tax dollars to promote the annexation plan when city crews were spotted cutting private property belonging to Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, which hosted a "City Day" to encourage Theodore residents to vote for annexation. Mt. Ararat Baptist Church is also one of four polling places for the special election on the annexation referendum.