Editor, Allow me to express my concerns over the proposed annexation by the city of Hinesville of parts of the western end of Liberty County.
Your paper published a drawing with detailed street listings from the city showing the proposed areas of annexation in the Oct. 20 edition. It also listed the early voting dates and the election date.
Basically, the areas affected are everything up to 15th Street and Airport Road from the current city limits. If you live in these areas and are annexed into the city, your taxes are going to go up greatly for services most of us already have provided for ourselves or currently have through the county or private contractors. You also will have to pay in the neighborhood of $6,000 to tap into city water and sewage services, based on your need, plus the cost of a private plumber to tie into your house.
The way this has been handled by the city has been — in my opinion — secretive, with after-the-fact notifications and, generally, as a deliberate disservice to the residents in the affected areas. The city did decide to hold a town-hall meeting Oct. 30 — 15 days after early voting had started.
If you have questions about whether you are in the affected areas, you need to call the city, get a newspaper from Oct. 20, read the alleged letter the city claims to have sent out or, at least, ask a neighbor in the know.
The annexation vote is Tuesday at the Shuman Center, and I strongly urge you to vote no on this increased taxation attempt by the city for the purpose of building up the city census and tax base.

— Roger A. Wells
Liberty County