Some Lakewood Village residents have filed a petition seeking tobe excluded from annexation plans, but Brookhaven officials saythat area and others are needed if the city is to grow anddevelop.

City officials accepted, but did not discuss, the petitionduring Tuesday’s meeting of the mayor and board of aldermen. Thepetition was signed by 62 county voters from the Lakewood Villagearea south of the current city limits.

“Each of us, for our own reasons, has chosen to live in LincolnCounty for the benefits that it provides,” the petition said. “Wehave already invested in water wells, sewers, and are satisfiedwith our current level of police and fire protection provided bythe county.”

In the petition, the residents say the added tax burdenresulting from annexation would outweigh the benefits they wouldreceive.

“Additionally, some of the rights and privileges that we enjoyas county residents would be taken away,” the petition said.

Lakewood Village is included in a 14.3 square mile area beingconsidered for annexation. The plan would enlarge the city’s landsize from the current 7.3 square miles to 21.6 square miles andincrease population from 9,861 to 13,123.

Responding to the petition Wednesday, Mayor Bill Godbold citedbenefits, services and environmental factors in support ofannexation.

Regarding benefits, the mayor said the state insurance ratingsbureau has made it “real convenient” for residents just outside thecity by giving them the same fire rating as those inside. Lowerfire ratings help on insurance rates.

“They’re getting the same benefit as us living inside the city,”the mayor said, while also mentioning the city’s willingness tohelp in emergencies. “If they have a fire, we’ll go out tothem.”

Godbold also mentioned environmental factors such as thebenefits of a city sewer system.

“DEQ (the Department of Environmental Quality) is going to clampdown one of these days, and they’re going to be sitting out thereby themselves,” the mayor said.

While not necessarily talking about Lakewood Village, the mayoracknowledged that residents outside the city on the city’s watersystem do pay double rates. Those rates would be cut in half withannexation.

In other cases, Godbold said some county residents are gettingthe benefits of living in the city “yet they don’t want to be partof Brookhaven.”

“If Brookhaven is to grow like it needs to grow, we need thoseareas,” Godbold said.