Apopka commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a $44,500 feasibility study about annexing unincorporated South Apopka, renewing a decades-long fight over whether city status would bring better services and representation or accelerate displacement and gentrification. 

Commissioners voted 5-0 to award the contract to The Corradino Group, which will conduct a feasibility study evaluating municipal boundaries, service delivery, infrastructure needs, utility expansion, financial impacts and other factors associated with annexing unincorporated South Apopka. 

The study is expected to take approximately two months to complete. 

City officials said the study is required before any future annexation referendum could be considered. 

“The whole idea of the study is to get information that would be relevant for the residents who are proposed to be included in the annexation and the city to know what they’re getting if they sign on to this, and what we are getting as a city if we sign on to this,” City Attorney Cliff Shepard said. 

The discussion drew extensive public comment from residents and community leaders both supporting and opposing annexation. 

Supporters argued that bringing South Apopka into the city could improve emergency response times and provide residents with a stronger voice in local government. 

One resident, Keyomi Jones, recounted the death of a child while waiting for emergency responders. 

“My friend lost his daughter in a car accident, and he had to wait for the ambulance to come from Orlando to save his daughter’s life, and she died when Apopka was two blocks over,” Jones said. “Those minutes that people inside of Apopka may not think about, it is life or death.” 

Former South Apopka resident Mark Wright-Ahern, who still has family in the area, said response times were a recurring issue. 

“There was a few times that I needed medical services or the police department to come,” Wright-Ahern said. “It took hours for them to sometimes respond.” 

Resident Monique Morris described waiting for Orange County deputies while Apopka police officers drove past during an incident near her home. She also stressed the need to educate the public about annexation, starting by visiting churches and speaking directly with elderly residents. 

“We won’t lose our history if we’re annexed into the city,” Morris said. “I believe that the government that’s closest to you can do best for you.” 

Opponents questioned whether annexation would benefit existing residents and raised concerns about the area’s history and future development. 

Resident Francina Boykin argued that annexation could lead to rising costs and displacement. 

“Proposed annexation for unincorporated Southern Apopka will fast-track a takeover of a historical community using the laws of eminent domain, gentrification, higher property taxes, forced sewer hookups, and displacement of its residents,” Boykin said. 

Former Commissioner Alexander H. Smith urged the commission to move forward, arguing that residents deserve the information the study would provide. He noted that the current divide has its roots in segregation. 

“It was 89 years ago when the law was passed that African Americans couldn’t live on this side of the track, and it’s sad here we are 89 years later still talking about division,” Smith said. 

Smith said many South Apopka residents already contribute to the city’s economy while remaining outside city limits. 

“Right now, it’s taxation without representation,” said Smith, who pastors New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. “People in unincorporated Apopka spend their money inside the city limits of Apopka, but they receive no benefits because they are not city residents.” 

Resident Albert McKimmie said residents must be provided with information before making a decision. 

“If we disenfranchise people because they’re not educated, because we have to take the time to collect the information that we can give them to help them make a choice, we really don’t deserve to be leaders,” McKimmie said. 

Commissioners also discussed conducting additional public outreach after the feasibility study is completed so residents can review the findings before deciding how to vote on any potential annexation measure.