NewsWest 9
BIG LAKE - When the city went to the county for financial help in fixing up their streets, something else happened entirely.
Big Lake City Secretary, Evelyn Ammons, said it happened out of the blue.
"Boom! Rather than offering help, they decided they would just do away with us and run us the way they feel we should be run," Ammons said.
County Judge Larry Isom is spearheading a motion to possibly unincorporate the city. That means Reagan County would have to take on Big Lake's usual responsibilities on top of their own.
"To have five people run everything in your county. I don't think that's good government. You should have different boards of commission doing different things and working together," Ammons said.
Officials say the property tax would most likely be lowered if the city were disbanded but the city furnishes the water, waste water, gas, landfill and parks and streets, among other services and agencies.
Professors at one school are conducting a study that weighs the pros and cons of the decision. The county judge was unavailable to comment but plans to use the results of this research to spur other small towns to do the same.
Some locals feel the city has been slacking. They said having the county step in could be a positive change.
"I'm sure if this happened, the county wouldn't just let all that go away. They would incorporate that. I mean, they're not just gonna drop everything just because they can get rid of the city. They're gonna have to figure something out for that so I wouldn't be too worried about that," Resident, James Glass, said.
