Election aftermath: Anniston will be the property of Mississippi County

ANNISTON, Mo.— The City of Anniston, Missouri, has decided to dissolve following a majority vote during Mississippi County’s municipal election Tuesday, April 2.

Located on Missouri Route 75, east of the highway’s intersection with Missouri Route 105, Anniston is situated south of Charleston and north of East Prairie.

Anniston Mayor LaDonna Reno discussed the reasons for the city’s dissolution.

“One reason is because we have to have a certified water and sewer operator, and we have not been able to find one nor do we have the funds to pay an operator,” Reno said. “Plus, we no longer have a city clerk and we no longer have a maintenance person.”

According to Reno, the city will continue to be known as Anniston, but it will be governed by Mississippi County rather than a city board. Reno said she is only been serving as mayor because the city does not have one.

A lifetime resident of Anniston, Reno said the town’s population is estimated at about 200 people, but they were still unable to find enough people interested in serving on council.

“That is another reason why we need to dissolve — Because we can’t even get enough people interested to have a full council,” Reno said.

Reno said the city had no choice but to dissolve the town, which is why the issue was put up for an official vote from residents on April 2.

“Since August, we have been running with no city clerks and no employees,” Reno said. “This isn’t what we wanted to do; I was born and raised in Anniston, but, right now, it’s just me and two other people and we just can’t do it any longer.”

Mississippi County Clerk Emily Pullen said said she hates seeing the town dissolve and discussed what will happen next.

“It will now become property of the county and then the next step is for the county to appoint a trustee, which would be an attorney that we have been in contact with and then the attorney takes it from there,” Pulled said.

She continued: “The attorney takes it from there as far as debt owed to the city, debt that the city owes, any unpaid water bills and things like that the attorney would be in charge of getting taken care of.”

According to Pullen, Anniston’s ZIP code and address would be considered Charleston rather than Anniston because the city would no longer be incorporated.

Pullen said the last time she spoke with the attorney, she was told that the dissolution process could take a year or more.