Annexation opponents mass for Walhalla meeting

A firestorm of a different kind greeted the Walhalla City Council.  An overflow crowd vented anger at the mayor and council for a proposed ordinance that would bind out-of-city property owners to be annexed, should their properties wind up contiguous to the corporate limits.  An explanation given that the proposed ordinance would pertain only to new water service customers and, by chance, would likely only apply when the properties became contiguous failed to relieve many in the audience.  They see it as a money grab by city government and worry that, in a scenario of falling dominoes, their properties would be forced into the city.  Several of the annexation opponents stressed that they prefer living in unincorporated sections of the county where municipal regulations such as those restricting gun rights and keeping farm animals don’t apply.  Mayor Tim Hall fielded most of the questions from the audience and admitted that he couldn’t answer all, but pledged to get the answers.  The controversial ordinance 2025-03 was on the agenda for final reading last night, but at the start of the meeting, urged by Mayor Hall, the council voted to remove it until, as the mayor explained, a full council can consider it.  The council is currently down two members and awaits a special April election to fill the seats.  One of the candidates in the April 22 election, Hayden Laye, announced last night that, if he’s elected, he’ll vote against the ordinance.  Councilman Grant Keehn reacted to Mayor Hall’s claim that much misinformation was being spread about the city’s intent by declaring that a video he posted contained the truth and that his colleagues wanted to avoid voting last night in the hopes that the opponents would go away.  About the ordinance, a woman who spoke as last night’s meeting stretched into its third hour said, “I would like Walhalla to stay as it is.”