Nearly 82 percent of Sebastian Daily newsletter readers favor the annexation in Sebastian. The newsletter has approximately 17,100 readers.
The poll asked, “Who should control the destiny of the Graves Brothers property adjacent to Sebastian?”
- City of Fellsmere (4.6%)
- City of Sebastian (81.8%)
- Indian River County (13.6%)
Sebastian citizens want to control their growth without the County or the environmental groups not located in the City of Sebastian.
During last week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Jim Hill lashed out at the County and environmental groups for spreading misinformation in 2019 about the annexation. While a few people (mainly outside the city limits) thought he wasn’t professional, many residents believe Hill is standing up for what’s best for the city.
Sebastian Daily interviewed Hill the next day after the meeting for further comment, explaining why he lashed out.
Since our interview with Hill, more citizens agree with the mayor that they should decide their future growth, not the County or the environmental groups.
Many citizens feel the County should contact their city officials if they have a problem with growth since the voluntary annexation is between the city and the landowner.
According to Hill, the County continues to develop and build all around Sebastian and has never contacted city officials about its impact on the city’s roads, parks, and boat ramps.
Last week, Sebastian Daily also interviewed City Manager Paul Carlisle for more in-depth information about the annexation.
Sebastian Annexation Polls
In the past, Sebastian Daily has published two other polls about the annexation, one for 2020 and another for 2019.
Here are the results of a poll we did in September 2020:
- 72% – Yes, I would support the annexation
- 28% – No, I do not support the annexation
In 2019, when misinformation was conquering the area by the County, and the environmental groups, most people did not favor the annexation. Here are the results of the October 2019 poll:
- 57% – Do not support
- 26% – Support
- 17% – Don’t care either way
As you can see by the poll in 2019, people believed the misinformation. Damian Gilliams, Pamela Parris, and Charles Multi also ran on the misinformation as a platform to get elected.
Since 2019, citizens are now educated and understand more about the topic. We also published an article on what people should know about the Sebastian annexation.
Annexation Workshops
There are two Sebastian annexation workshops scheduled at Sebastian City Hall, open for all to attend:
- Thursday, June 16, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 11:30 a.m.
No matter where you stand with the annexation, the Graves Brothers property will go forward with development, whether it be in Sebastian, the County, or Fellsmere.
