Annexation

For a community to continue to grow and prosper, it is essential to encourage the timely and planned annexation of land. Annexation would add previously unincorporated property into the City. This enables the city to ensure that outward expansion at the fringe of the community is developed in an orderly manner.

O'Fallon recognizes the fast pace of development that is occurring around us. We are trying to predict the areas of growth in order to better manage their development. With greater control over development, O'Fallon can protect your investment by regulating what is built around your property. In addition, annexations will help us to determine the best possible locations and layout of future roads, schools, municipal buildings, parks and influence a wide range of other decisions.

If you are interested in finding out about annexing to the City of O'Fallon, the Community Development Department is available to assist you in the process and answer any questions. We understand you will have questions regarding the annexation process and the affect on your property taxes. By working together, we can analyze all the options in order to make the best decision for you and the City.

Annexing to O'Fallon would mean you would receive more comprehensive services such as responsive police protection, water/sewer and street maintenance. Some of the City services would include:

Police Protection: O'Fallon residents can rely on the police department to respond to their emergencies in approximately four minutes. With 47 uniformed officers, your family and property will be well protected.

Ambulance Service: Medical emergencies can be responded to by the 3 EMS Supervisors, 12 full-time and 16 part-time personnel in under six minutes. Their familiarity with the area ensures they arrive quickly with the latest medical equipment to provide full life.

Fire Protection: The staff of 49 paid-on-call / volunteer firefighters can dispatch an average of 13 firefighters to your emergencies in approximately four minutes. In addition, the tax rate for fire protection within the City is the same as within the fire district, and boasts an ISO Class 3 rating.

Water Service: Since you would be living in the City of O'Fallon, you would pay a cheaper "in-town" rate per 1,000 gallons of water.

Library: You and your family can enjoy any of the more than 70,000 resources available in the Library, plus access to over 100,000 ebooks, dowloadable audiobooks, and digital magazines available online. Children can participate in many of the award winning summer youth programs.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS CONCERNING ANNEXATION

1. How does annexation work?
Although annexation can be accomplished in several different ways, the process being proposed requires the collection of petitions signed by owners and residents of the properties. After petitions are signed and recorded with the City Clerk, the annexation will come before the City Council for final approval.

2. How will regulation affect my property?
The St. Clair County Board currently regulates your property in a similar fashion to that of the City. The County already has in place regulations regarding zoning, land use, variances and fees. If you have any concerns about regulation, please compare the County regulation with those of the City.

3. How will my property be affected by zoning?
During the process of annexation, any territory brought into O'Fallon must be placed into a zoning district. The zoning of a property will depend on its location, current use and the Comprehensive Plan. Alternative zoning will require a public hearing and approval from the City Council.

4. How will this affect our school district?
Annexation will have no effect on your school district. School district boundaries were established long ago, and are not altered by changes in municipal boundaries.

As you are aware, there will be some changes to your property tax bill. Your tax bill contains rates from many overlapping taxing districts. By becoming an O'Fallon resident, some taxing districts will change to increase or decrease your total tax bill. There may also be some decreases in other bills that might help offset the increase.
Because property is assessed differently and are taxed by many districts, an individual tax analysis should be done to show the actual financial impact annexation will have on your property taxes and other costs.

5. Economic advantages for annexation:

  • Newly annexed residents will generally see an almost 30% decrease in their water bill.
  • You may see a reduction in your home-owners insurance.
  • If you are considering selling or developing your property, it could be worth more inside the City limits.

6. What will it cost me?
Keep in mind that each parcel is different and assessments and tax rates change each year. An individual tax analysis will have to be done on your property to find the estimated financial impact on you.

As a service to you, the Director of Finance, Sandy Evans, can calculate how your current tax bill will change when your property is annexed into the City. You can reach her at 618-624-4500. All you need is your most recent tax bill.