Small Town News

Dont expect favors from Cottonwood while negotiating

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Cottonwood's decision to annex 8.5 square miles of U.S. Forest Service land gives the city control of its northern border and ensures that in the event any of the pristine forest land it acquires gets swapped, whatever develops will pay fees and taxes to the city of Cottonwood.

Cottonwood believes the move to be in its own best interests, but many are objecting, especially Clarkdale, Cottonwood's smaller neighbor to the north.

Cottonwood city government emphatically argues it must annex the land to preserve it. It prefers the open space, city officials claim. Just to prove its sincerity, the Cottonwood City Council passed a resolution Tuesday, Aug. 25, stating clearly the annexed land should remain open space.

But Cottonwood knows it can't control whether the federal government will swap some of that forest land to a developer. Its argument that annexation gives it increased influence over such a decision just doesn't hold up.

The move seems to be less about preserving open space than it is about securing a future financial advantage should development take place as the result of a land swap. In truth, Cottonwood decided it better annex the land first, before Clarkdale tried to get it.

That is Cottonwood's right and a reasonable argument for that position can certainly be made, but the city should call a spade a spade. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the land is just as likely to remain open space now as it was before the annexation vote.

More troublesome than that is Cottonwood's apparent distrust for neighboring Clarkdale.

It's regrettable that tensions between the two municipalities are running so high now, but as with most disputes, it all comes down to communication.

Clarkdale's mayor and Town Council wanted an agreement with Cottonwood that would prevent either from annexing the land at any time in the future. Cottonwood, rightly or wrongly, smelled a rat, worrying out loud that such an agreement could not be enforced and that Clarkdale would grab the land for itself if Cottonwood relented.

This distrust was on display for all to see when Cottonwood made a last minute change to its Aug. 18 agenda and took the vote to annex at the end of a very long meeting, never bothering to let Clarkdale know about the move in advance.

Bad manners, maybe, but more importantly, it places Sedona, Clarkdale and Camp Verde on notice that when dealing with Cottonwood, don't expect any favors.



Copyright 2009 Cottonwood Journal Extra, Cottonwood, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Cottonwood Journal Extra Cottonwood, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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