Baldwin raises de-annexation fee by 4900%

Some of the costs associated with doing business with the City of Baldwin dropped while others jumped much higher after leaders approved a new fee structure at their meeting this week.

Under the new Baldwin Fee Schedule, the cost of setting up a mobile home drops. The old Base Fee was $150 for all trailer homes. The new prices are $50 for single-wide plus 10 cents per square foot and $100 for double-wide plus 12 cents per sq. ft.

The fee for rezoning property dropped considerably, from $1000 down to $625. That new, lower fee also covers variance requests and “Special Use” permits. Leaders say the old fee was far higher than what other local cities charge and could discourage development.

The cost for property owners to bring their land within the Baldwin City Limits drops too. The annexation fee goes from $775 dollars down to $250 per parcel.

The only fee City Council members raised this week is the cost of getting property out of Baldwin. If an owner wants to de-annex a parcel from the city, the fee jumps 4900%, from $50 up to $2500 per lot. Mayor Jerry Neace says the de-annexation fee had to go up because the last time an owner removed a property from Baldwin it cost the city thousands of dollars in legal fees alone. He says the new price just covers the city’s actual costs associated with de-annexation.