The Springfield News-Leader has a great article (link via Combest) about what happened in the one county that allowed people to go ahead and form their own villages under the now-thankfully-repealed Village Law. Camden County, along the Lake of the Ozarks, had three microvillages incorporate, and more applications coming in, when they established a moratorium — and then the state law was repealed. Here’s how government works in a village of two:
“I had to second the nomination,” Dave Krehbiel said, laughing. “My wife accepted the appointment of clerk.”
“He’s had way too much fun with this,” Dana Krehbiel said.
And it is going to cost other people money (emphasis added):
He may even develop it someday and is considering passing some new ordinances, like mandating utility companies bury the telephone and power lines that run across his lawn, somewhat blocking his otherwise stunning view of the lake.
Moving utility poles and wires is expensive. Other people are going to pay for that in their bills. What if you had hundreds more villages like this, some forcing buried lines and others mandating above ground lines? This is supposed to be a show of individual liberty?
The older system worked fine for people willing to pay the costs of their proposals and plans, rather than those who intend — like some wannabe developers — to move forward in developing property for homes, leaving the infrastructure costs to others:
The Christian County commission (in 2002) gave developer Clyde Lorance clearance to develop the land after he offered to pay for the water, sewer and road systems. He even built Spokane-Highlandville Fire Protection District a station, giving his village full fire service.
So that is all you had to do before the Village Law, and all you need do again now that the law has been repealed. This is not trampling on anyone’s rights. Missouri does not need more government, particularly of the Liliputian variety.
