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Annexation vs. Incorporation
Future of land in county’s hands
By: Holly Kramer, Staff Writer
There is a showdown between Overland Park and Stilwell.
The Overland Park City Council on April 7 sent two documents to the Board of County Commissioners regarding Stilwell’s incorporation request.
One stated the city’s opposition to Stilwell’s request and the other asks if two plots of land within the Stilwell area can be annexed by Overland Park.
The land is located between 175th and 183rd streets and 187th and 199th streets. The landowners asked for the annexation.
Lawyer John Petersen represents one of the property owners, AFL HM Johnson County.
“(The property owners) purchased the land with the intent of residential development in the future,” Petersen said. “The well-planned, good quality development in Overland Park appeals to the property owners.”
Chief Counsel for the Board of County Commissioners Don Jarrett said if the county approves Stilwell’s petition, the two annexation requests are dead.
“The commission has the incorporation to consider and if they approve it, the annexation proposals will be rendered void,” Jarrett said.
Overland Park is opposed to Stilwell’s incorporation for other reasons. The document states that if incorporated, Stilwell will be the least dense city in the county with 227 persons per mile but the fifth largest geographically and that will create a higher mill levy rate for county services. Overland Park also is interested in future annexation of the land Stilwell wants to incorporate.
Aubry Township Chair Darrel Dougan said it is “amazing” that Overland Park is against the Stilwell incorporation.
“About eight years ago, the county did an extensive study of the area to determine the future and the group that included former Mayor Ed Eilert, current Mayor Mr. (Carl) Gerlach and three other people said the area on the east side of 69 Highway was in the sphere of influence of Stilwell and they weren’t interested,” Dougan said. “It’s funny how they’ve changed their minds.”
Dougan said Stilwell wants to become a city so residents can manage growth and development the way they want.
“If part of the area is eventually annexed by Overland Park, City Hall will be 14 miles away and we will not have anywhere near (the) population to even get someone on the City Council,” Dougan said. “If we become a city, statutes would require an election be held to elect a mayor and city hall.”
Dougan said the landowners wanting to be annexed by Overland Park are interested in financial gain.
“The landowners are a group of developers outside of the Kansas City area and they want to turn the area into developments and make money off of it, and they think they will make more money if it’s in Overland Park,” Dougan said. “That land is an integral part of Stilwell.”
The mill levy will not increase if Stilwell becomes a city, Dougan said.
“The average mill levy in Johnson County is about 28.9 mills and this area will not need anywhere near that,” Dougan said.
The county held a public hearing on the Stilwell petition on Monday.
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The Overland Park City Council on April 7 sent two documents to the Board of County Commissioners regarding Stilwell’s incorporation request.
One stated the city’s opposition to Stilwell’s request and the other asks if two plots of land within the Stilwell area can be annexed by Overland Park.
The land is located between 175th and 183rd streets and 187th and 199th streets. The landowners asked for the annexation.
Lawyer John Petersen represents one of the property owners, AFL HM Johnson County.
“(The property owners) purchased the land with the intent of residential development in the future,” Petersen said. “The well-planned, good quality development in Overland Park appeals to the property owners.”
Chief Counsel for the Board of County Commissioners Don Jarrett said if the county approves Stilwell’s petition, the two annexation requests are dead.
“The commission has the incorporation to consider and if they approve it, the annexation proposals will be rendered void,” Jarrett said.
Overland Park is opposed to Stilwell’s incorporation for other reasons. The document states that if incorporated, Stilwell will be the least dense city in the county with 227 persons per mile but the fifth largest geographically and that will create a higher mill levy rate for county services. Overland Park also is interested in future annexation of the land Stilwell wants to incorporate.
Aubry Township Chair Darrel Dougan said it is “amazing” that Overland Park is against the Stilwell incorporation.
“About eight years ago, the county did an extensive study of the area to determine the future and the group that included former Mayor Ed Eilert, current Mayor Mr. (Carl) Gerlach and three other people said the area on the east side of 69 Highway was in the sphere of influence of Stilwell and they weren’t interested,” Dougan said. “It’s funny how they’ve changed their minds.”
Dougan said Stilwell wants to become a city so residents can manage growth and development the way they want.
“If part of the area is eventually annexed by Overland Park, City Hall will be 14 miles away and we will not have anywhere near (the) population to even get someone on the City Council,” Dougan said. “If we become a city, statutes would require an election be held to elect a mayor and city hall.”
Dougan said the landowners wanting to be annexed by Overland Park are interested in financial gain.
“The landowners are a group of developers outside of the Kansas City area and they want to turn the area into developments and make money off of it, and they think they will make more money if it’s in Overland Park,” Dougan said. “That land is an integral part of Stilwell.”
The mill levy will not increase if Stilwell becomes a city, Dougan said.
“The average mill levy in Johnson County is about 28.9 mills and this area will not need anywhere near that,” Dougan said.
The county held a public hearing on the Stilwell petition on Monday.