Community talk held about South Apopka annexation

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Citizens, community and Chamber of Commerce leaders, as well as elected officials held a roundtable discussion exploring the possibility of annexing South Apopka into the city of Apopka, a conversation that was marked with occasional friction. 

The roundtable was held Tuesday, February 15, at the Apopka Community Center/VFW building. 

Although recent mayoral and City Council candidate debates explored having conversations on discussing annexation, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce has been fielding questions on the topic from its business members who are concerned with what that could mean for their tax base while struggling to recover from shuts downs or illnesses. 

Community questions were presented at the roundtable discussion for attendees to review and discuss. 

On July 19, 2021, the Chamber began the process with representatives from the Apopka community, city, state, school district, and a representative’s aid from Congress, to discuss challenges of businesses and residents of South Apopka. 

Based on discovery during that conversation, the Chamber began to offer hiring events throughout the city to help support local families and local businesses with employment and talent supply needs. Two events were hosted in 2021; the next event will be on Tuesday, February 22, noon-6 p.m., in the Apopka Community Center/VFW.    

“The community is dealing with the historical past, and change agents are being identified and stepping up from the community to support the cultural health of the future.  Our community is growing fast, which comes with opportunities and challenges,” Chamber CEO/President Cate Manley said in a statement after the roundtable.  “The people in Apopka are resilient. As we move forward and focus on the strengths of our community and businesses as a Chamber, new outcomes are being created. It’s a process.

“The Chamber continues to support Apopka by supporting the needs of our member businesses, schools, non-profits, civic partners, health providers, and programs across the Apopka area, as an integral part of the Apopka community prosperity plan that we began in our July 2021 ‘One Apopka” meeting.” 

According to numbers provided by the city of Apopka, there are 1,843 South Apopka parcels that could be annexed, with the total taxable value of parcels being $110,420,140 at $59,913 per parcel, and $462,395 total property taxes paid.  

This story appears in full beginning on page 1A of the Friday, February 18, issue of The Apopka Chief. Subscribe today!

The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.

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