Just Leave Us Alone!

s the president and lead petitioner of the group organizing the incorporation of the Hickory Hill area into the proposed new city of Nonconnah, I'd like to comment on recent public remarks made in reference to our efforts and those of other groups seeking their independence within Shelby County.

Memphis attempted to annex this area in 1987. We've gone to court to prove that we are not in dire need of city services, and that, in fact, Memphis had not provided promised improvements to other annexed areas over the past 20 years. For 10 years, Memphis has been unable -- or unwilling -- to counter our claim.

The annexation attempt has solidified the resolve of our residents to fight for our independence, and the 1997 passage of Public Chapter 98 by the Tennessee State Legislature was a gift from heaven for our efforts.

The media refers to "toy towns." In no way does that mocking label apply to Nonconnah. We have approximately 13 square miles of city, with a population of about 56,000 people, and a population density exceeding that of Memphis. We would be the seventh largest city in Tennessee, ahead of Johnson City and Jackson, and only slightly behind Murfreesboro.

Nor are we a "white flight" sanctuary; we have a racial balance unequaled in the Mid-South. We boast an ideal mix of residential, retail, manufacturing, and distribution sectors in our city. Our revenue from sales tax, property taxes, and state appropriations will be approximately $12 million per year.

As the second largest city in Shelby County, we will have the economic and political clout to ensure our success while maintaining one of the lowest tax burdens in the region.

In granting us the right to incorporate and avoid pending annexation, the state has finally given us a say in our own destiny. Memphis will not be able to seize our homes and businesses without our consent. Mayor Herenton apparently feels that it is unconstitutional for us to have a vote to determine our future, and, accordingly, Memphis filed suit to have the new law overturned.

Having been rejected by Chancery Court and by the State Court of Appeals, Mayor Herenton is now using sewage -- or, specially, the treatment of sewage -- to coerce us into submitting to his will. He is refusing to provide new sewer extensions to developers in the incorporating areas.

Thankfully, through the efforts of our residents and businesses, our city is about 85 percent developed already. We feel that he cannot continue the moratorium in view of the fact that Memphis is currently providing sewer services to Southaven and Horn Lake. What a political embarrassment, to be seen as denying sewer connections to Shelby County's second largest city, while he continues to provide services out of state!

A futile attempt to control the situation is Herenton's "Formula for Fairness," a clever effort to sway public opinion toward the City of Memphis. Fortunately, the County Commission received the true facts in time to head off the pity party. Memphis does not subsidize the county; in fact, it is exactly the opposite. Memphis provides 64 percent of county revenues while receiving 76 percent of the county services.

Another example of Herenton's creativity is his formula's proposal that Shelby County pay the full cost of funding Memphis city schools. In Nonconnah, we feel that if our city decided to have its own school system, the entire cost should be borne by our residents. We wouldn't ask Memphis, Germantown, or the proposed city of Nashoba to help fund our schools; so why in the world should Mayor Herenton expect all of the county to pay for his schools?

The bottom line for our area is that we want to be left alone. We appreciate our freedoms and current services. County schools, county fire services, and county Sheriff's Department protection are all excellent. But the annexation attempt by Memphis requires that we respond with every legal means available, and that means incorporation as our own city.

(Tom Jeanette, a FedEx computer engineer and two-time independent congressional candidate, leads the effort to incorporate the Hickory Hill area as the city of Nonconnah.)