Annexation: Frequently Asked Questions

Land proposed to be annexed must be within the City’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and contiguous to the city limits or separated from the city only by public right of way or a stream, bay, lake, or other body of water.

Within the Urban Growth Boundary?

Areas eligible for annexation are those properties within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). The UGB is the area that the City, through its Comprehensive Plan and approval by the State of Oregon, has determined  is subject to urban uses and eventual inclusion within the City.

Annexed Area Contiguous to Current City Boundary?

In addition to being located within the Florence UGB, properties must be contiguous to the City’s boundary in order to be eligible to annex. In some cases, the connection to the City boundary can be made by annexing a right of way, such as a street.

Can the City Provide Services?

In order to take a property into its jurisdiction, the City must be able to provide services such as wastewater treatment and police service. The City also coordinates with other agencies to ensure non-City provided services would be available, including water supply, fire protection, electricity, and more. The adequacy of these services for a particular kind of development isn’t a major factor until development is actually proposed in a later application. For the purposes of an annexation request, it only matters that services can be provided at a basic level.

No. The City only taxes and provides City services to property within City limits, even if you are along a street that has been annexed.

The Florence City Council must approve all annexations in Florence. Applications for annexation are submitted by property owners to the City of Florence’s Community Development Department. Staff review applications per the Florence City Code and present the applications to the Florence Planning Commission. After a public hearing, the Planning Commission deliberates and makes their recommendation to the Florence City Council based on the findings of facts. The City Council then makes a final decision after another public hearing. 

No. The City does not require connection to sanitary sewer upon annexation. Reasons for this include the lack of gravity sewers in the area; direct connection to a pressure sewer main which requires the home service line to be pressurized, and individual sewer connections are not practical because of the need for a sewer pump within the home. If a request to annex into the City is approved by the City Council and the desire is to connect to City sewer, coordination with the City’s Public Works Department will occur to develop a plan to for connection.

Yes. City taxes are higher than the taxes in unincorporated areas, but the level of services is higher, too. The City’s permanent tax rate is $2.8610 per $1,000 of the property’s assessed value. The City also currently levies $0.1496 per $1,000 for a general obligation bond (Fiscal Year 2021). This bond will expire June 30, 2022.

Based on the current combined tax rate of $3.0106 per $1,000 of assessed value, as an example, if a property with an assessed value of $200,000 is annexed into the city, the property owner’s property taxes would increase by $602.12 for the current tax year. That includes $572.20 to the City and $29.92 for the bond.

City tax revenue is used to pay for police protection, parks, planning/building, code enforcement, and city administration.

Please note, assessed value and real market value are different. Taxes are based on the assessed value of a property. To find out more information and how your particular taxes may change, you should contact the Lane County Office of Assessment and Taxation by phone at 541‐682‐4321 or visit https://lanecounty.org/government/county_departments/assessment___taxation.

• Your address will not change.
  The United States Postal Service does not change your zip (or the city or county name associated with your zip code) as a result of annexation.
   
• Your property will be incorporated into the City and assigned a City zoning designation.
   
• Some of the tax rates on your annual property tax statement will change.
   
• Some services, such as police and code enforcement, will be provided by the City. Other services will continue to be provided by the same service districts (e.g. Library, Fire, & Ambulance.) and private and customer owned companies (e.g. Charter, Century Link, Central Lincoln PUD, Heceta Water PUD, etc.) that are currently serving your property.
   
• The City will notify all existing service providers of your property's annexation into the City.
   
• Some of the uses or structures on the property may not conform to the City's  code. This is okay and not unusual. Having a nonconforming use or structure will not prevent you from annexing or continuing to use your property.
  For example, structures on your property may be larger or closer to your property line than what the City's code allows. Uses and structures that were legal when established, but that do not conform to the City's current zoning code are considered nonconforming. Nonconforming uses are allowed to continue and nonconforming structures are allowed to be maintained in reasonable repair. However, neither is allowed to expand or be significantly altered without City review and approval.
   
• Future development on a property, such as a home remodel or new driveway, will be subject to the City's permitting requirements and zoning code.
  For example, a home remodel or new deck may require a building permit and new driveway may require an erosion control and/or right-of-way permit. Please check with the City before making these kinds of changes on your property.