Annexit: The Push to Deannex Parts of Anniston into Oxford
You’ve heard of Brexit. But what about Annexit? A group of Anniston residents want to be deannexed and incorporated into the city of Oxford. Some Anniston city leaders have called the proposal racist. Anniston is majority black; most of the residents pushing for this live in Ward 4 — a section of the city that’s mostly white and affluent. Anniston City
Interview Highlights
Why join Oxford?
“They believe that their property will be more valuable and their quality of life. They won’t be sharing in what they consider a failing school system or the crime rate or the lack of economic development due to their perception of dysfunction among elected officials.”
Is this about race?
“It has really terrible optics. While I’m not a part of this group (that wants to leave Anniston), I know them and I do not at all feel that their motivation is a racial one. Although I realize the optics are pretty bad. This ward is not all caucasians. There are many African-American citizens living in Ward 4 as well. But it is predominantly white and they would be taking about 10,000 residents out of a city of 22,000 that, in the last census, was 52% African-American.”
Is Ward 4 the only portion of the Anniston included in this proposal?
“There’s a few streets that are in other wards that are included in this but it’s primarily Ward 4, which is the most affluent ward within the city.”
What would this mean for Anniston?
“It would jeopardize the livelihoods of our first responders, our police and fire retirees who rely on the city’s contribution to their fund. They put their lives on the line for us and they really deserve better. It would mean far less money for public safety. Our violent crime rate has actually been declining. What will happen to that crime rate if the police have far less resources to fight crime? Anniston would also lose at least one fire station. That, too, would render Anniston far less safe. And by the way, what happens to insurance rates if this happens? Plainly and simply deannexation would cripple Anniston and those retirees who rely on Anniston.”
What does it mean for Calhoun County?
“Anniston is the county seat and it would take a legislative action to change the county seat. But the largest city would be Oxford and the legislature could change a county seat if they chose to do so. I don’t believe this is going to be good for Anniston, Oxford or the entire county.”
Photo by Rivers Langley: SaveRivers
Editor’s Note: After we spoke with Harris, the Anniston City Council voted unanimously opposing deannexation of Ward 4.
WBHM spoke with Charles Turner, who is part of the group Forward 4 All, which is pushing for deannexation. He says the group is in the planning stages of the proposal.
“We are looking for solutions that improve things for all residents of Anniston and certainly want to avoid disparate racial consequences,” Turner says.
Tech CEOs say the era of ‘code by AI’ is here. Some software engineers are skeptical
While AI is increasingly used to write code, every line is still reviewed by humans. Some engineers complain about having to clean up AI-generated code.
Some ant architects design a colony to cut the risk of disease. Humans, take note!
One kind of tiny ant can serve as a monumental example for how to keep members of a community safe from pathogens. A new study shows how they do it.
A theory why the internet is going down the toilet
A new book diagnoses a sickness affecting some of America's biggest companies.
Amid tariff costs, a ‘speed dating’ event helps connect Southern auto suppliers, makers
Manufacturers like Hyundai gathered in Huntsville to hear pitches from U.S. suppliers, as tariffs have prompted them to look for local options.
Blue New Jersey is expecting a very close race for governor this November
President Trump and former President Obama have endorsed the two candidates locked in a tight race for New Jersey governor, Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
Karine Jean-Pierre on why she left the Democrats — and calls herself independent
In her new book Independent, former Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre writes that party infighting, bias and disloyalty drove her to leave the Democratic Party.
