Theodore and Tillmans Corner Residents Reacted to 2008 Annexation Plan
Archived WKRG coverage recorded differing reactions in Theodore and Tillmans Corner after Mobile announced its 2008 annexation proposal.
Historical report, published from archived local news coverage.
When Mobile announced its 2008 annexation proposal, residents of Theodore and Tillmans Corner offered sharply different reactions, according to an archived local news report published Aug. 14, 2008.
Randy Torbert, vice-chairman of the Theodore Improvement Association, said the group had not taken a position but questioned whether possible police, fire and garbage-collection improvements would justify higher taxes.
Robert Walker, a longtime Theodore resident, supported annexation and said he hoped it could bring playgrounds and parks to the area.
Mark Hendry, owner of Southern Automotive in Tillmans Corner, said he wanted more information about what the city would offer beyond an added tax increase.
The report also raised questions about the possible effect on Mobile County Public Schools, noting that officials said an earlier Schillinger Road Corridor annexation had reduced school-system revenue.
This is a historical account of responses at the time.
Schools and the vote that followed
The city of Mobile does not operate its own school system; Mobile County Public Schools serves students inside and outside the city, so annexation changes which local government collects some taxes but not which school system students attend.
The City Council authorized a special annexation election later that month, and the vote was held Oct. 7, 2008, with only voters inside each proposed area eligible. In the area designated as the Theodore Area, voters approved annexation 460 to 193, and Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis declared that area part of the city on Oct. 16, 2008.
