BELLA VISTA — Hiwasse resident Leon Bertschy filed a petition Friday afternoon for the people of Hiwasse to voluntarily annex into Gravette.
Dana Ferguson with the Benton County Clerk’s Office said there were more than 200 signatures on the petition.
The filing comes as Bella Vista officials were moving to annex the Hiwasse area.
Bella Vista’s City Council is set to give a third reading of an ordinance Monday nightto put the annexation on the May primary ballot.
Bella Vista city attorney Bryan Vernetti said Friday he couldn’t give a legal opinion on whether the petition filing supersedes the annexation ordinance.
“If I’m directed by the city to fight that annexation, we will do so. Anyone who wanted to fight it or oppose it will then have 30 days to file action with circuit court,” Vernetti said.
“We probably had close to 70 percent (of land owners’ signatures),” Bertschy said. “People (in Hiwasse) are totally against annexation by Bella Vista. People were still coming to sign the petitionwhen we were leaving to file it.”
Bella Vista Mayor Frank Anderson said the city will go ahead with its process.
“Gravette is as interested as we are in doing something with that highway,” Anderson said, referring to the proposed Bella Vista bypass.
The first stretch, two lanes around the south side of Hiwasse, is nowunder construction. The bypass will eventually provide a four-lane bypass from west of Pineville, Mo., to the north side of Bentonville.
Gravette Mayor Byron Warren said it would take a motion from the Gravette City Council to accept Hiwasse residents into the city.
“It will be a challenge on our government here; I don’t think it’s anything we can’t overcome,” Warren said.
Gravette would need to hire a few extra police officers to service the larger area, Warren said.
“The revenue that will come in will more than compensate being able to provide those services,” he said.
Bella Vista alderman Doug Farner said it is too soon to tell what the outcome may be.
“We may be wise to go ahead and vote on our ordinance Monday night. We’ll just have to take some time to see how things play out,” Farner said.
Warren noted what’shappening typifies the American way.
“It’s the Gravette-Hiwasse community, it always has been. They’re keeping their way of life; that’s admirable on their part,” Warren said. “It really shows there’s still pride in America. There’s freedom in the United States to choose, not be told what to do.”
Editor's Note: Bella Vista, in a 4-0 vote on Monday passed ordinances to put the annexation issue on the ballot. See Page 7A for the full article.
News, Pages 1 on 01/25/2012