Perkins vows to use ‘any and all legal means’ necessary

By Alan Riquelmy / Selma Times – Journal

Saying that Selma must be protected, Mayor James Perkins Jr. called for city attorney Jimmy Nunn to investigate &uot;any and all legal means&uot; to prevent Valley Grande residents from incorporating at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

If adjacent communities are allowed to begin incorporating, Perkins told the council, Selma could become landlocked and future growth stymied.

Nunn then suggested that a court injunction might be the most direct way to stop Valley Grande from moving forward with any plans to incorporate. Some Valley Grande residents have been calling for incorporation since it was discovered earlier this year that Perkins had initiated a study on the feasibility of Selma annexing the area.

The council then voted on whether Nunn should research the possibility of an injunction and make a report to the council. The vote passed, 6 to 2.

A number of residents addressed the council on the subject of annexation.

Dr. David Hodo, of Summerville, said he favors being annexed &045;&045; as long as the city annexing Summerville is Selma.

According to Hodo, Valley Grande is not only thinking about incorporating, but also about annexing Summerville once they do. He said that he didn’t object to being annexing by Selma, but that he doesn’t want Valley Grande to annex his community.

He said he does not believe that the area has sufficient resources to provide the same level of services as that which could be provided by Selma.

Hubert Brandon, a resident of Selmont, also voiced his opinion against incorporating. He said that a small group of people in his community want the community to have its own government, but that he believes such a move would be harmful to Selmont.

Brandon also said that he has traveled all over the country, and wherever he goes people speak of Selma with reverence.

He thinks the city could be a hotbed of industry, but for that to happen Selma needs solid leadership.

Perkins, he said, provides that leadership.

Perkins then asked everyone present who objected to incorporation in the county to stand.

Out of about 50 people present fewer than 10 stood.

In other matters the council:

The building has become a safety hazard, Perkins said, and needs to be stabilized and protected.