The City of Kingman is embarking upon a new annexation strategy. Manager Ron Foggin has indicated that the leadership team at City Hall is recommending focus on property near the proposed Kingman Crossing and Rancho Santa Fe Interstate 40 Interchanges, while putting Kingman High School and the municipal airport and industrial park “on the backburner.”
Foggin said it has been determined, as it has before, that bringing the high school and airport into the city is a losing proposition financially, until the city adds a new revenue generation mechanism. He said it will cost far more to extend city services to those areas than any revenue return the city might enjoy.
“We just cannot seem to make those pencil,” Foggin told Council members during their Tuesday meeting. Foggin said annexation of the high school and airport can be pursued once it becomes economically viable.
Meantime, staff recommends bringing other property into the city that might host commercial or industrial activity providing a higher sales tax return.
“Why don’t we look at the I-11 Kingman Crossing and Rancho Santa Fe interchanges if we’re going to consider some annexation now that we know over the next two or three years is going to become very important,” said Economic Development Director Gary Kellogg.
Foggin said it would be good to bring areas around the interchanges under city code and regulation before growth might explode there. “Being able to control our destiny out by the interchanges seems to me to be probably best bang for the buck moving forward,” he said. Mayor Jen Miles concurred and said it is good to have short and long range annexation goals.
