{"id":311909,"date":"2026-06-18T16:10:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/311909\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:10:10","slug":"city-votes-5-0-to-advance-south-apopka-annexation-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/311909\/","title":{"rendered":"City\u00a0votes 5-0 to\u00a0advance South Apopka annexation study\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apopka commissioners\u00a0on Wednesday\u00a0unanimously approved a $44,500 feasibility study annexing unincorporated South Apopka,\u00a0renewing a decades-long fight<\/a>\u00a0over whether city status would bring better services and representation or accelerate displacement and gentrification.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Commissioners voted 5-0 to award the contract to The Corradino Group, which will conduct a feasibility study evaluating municipal boundaries, service delivery, infrastructure needs, utility expansion, financial\u00a0impacts\u00a0and other factors associated with annexing unincorporated South Apopka.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The study is expected to take approximately two months to complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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City officials said the study is\u00a0required\u00a0before any future annexation referendum could be considered.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole idea of the study is to get information that would be relevant for the residents who are proposed to be included in the annexation and the city to know what they\u2019re getting if they sign on to this,\u00a0and what we are getting as a city if we sign on to this,\u201d City Attorney Cliff Shepard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The discussion drew extensive public comment from residents and community leaders both supporting and opposing annexation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Supporters argued that bringing South Apopka into the city could improve emergency response times and provide residents with a stronger voice in local government.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One resident, Keyomi Jones, recounted the death of a child while waiting for emergency responders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend lost his daughter in a car accident, and he had to wait for the ambulance to come from Orlando to save his daughter\u2019s life, and she died when Apopka was two blocks over,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThose minutes that people inside of Apopka may not think about, it is life or death.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former South Apopka resident Mark Wright-Ahern, who still has family in the area, said response times were a recurring issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u00a0was\u00a0a few times that I needed medical services or the police department to come,\u201d Wright-Ahern said. \u201cIt took hours for them to sometimes respond.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Resident Monique Morris described waiting for Orange County deputies while Apopka police officers drove past during an incident near her home. She also stressed the need to educate the public about annexation, starting by visiting churches and speaking directly with elderly residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t lose our history if we\u2019re annexed into the city,\u201d Morris said. \u201cI believe that the government that\u2019s closest to you can do best for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Opponents questioned whether annexation would\u00a0benefit\u00a0existing residents and raised concerns about the area\u2019s history and future development.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Resident Francina Boykin argued that annexation could lead to rising costs and displacement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cProposed annexation for unincorporated Southern Apopka will fast-track a takeover of a historical community using the laws of eminent domain, gentrification, higher property taxes, forced sewer hookups, and displacement of its residents,\u201d Boykin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former Commissioner Alexander H. Smith urged the commission to move forward, arguing that residents deserve the information\u00a0the study\u00a0would provide.\u00a0He noted that the current divide has its roots in segregation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was 89 years ago when the law was passed that African Americans couldn\u2019t live on this side of the track, and it\u2019s sad here we are 89 years later still talking about division,\u201d Smith said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Smith said many South Apopka residents\u00a0already contribute\u00a0to the city\u2019s economy while\u00a0remaining\u00a0outside city limits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now,\u00a0it\u2019s taxation without representation,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Smith, who pastors New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. \u201cPeople in unincorporated Apopka spend their money inside the city limits of Apopka, but they receive no benefits because they are not city residents.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Resident Albert McKimmie said residents must be provided with information before making a decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we disenfranchise people because they\u2019re not educated, because we have to take the time to collect the information that we can give them to help them make a choice, we really don\u2019t deserve to be leaders,\u201d McKimmie said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Commissioners also discussed conducting\u00a0additional\u00a0public outreach after the feasibility study is\u00a0completed\u00a0so residents can review the findings before deciding how to vote on any potential annexation measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n

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