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By Ramona Frances - and Keith Pendleton

Keith Pendleton/The Madera Tribune A sign along the road upon entering the town of Oakhurst welcomes visitors. Residents of Oakhurst will vote on whether to incorporate on Feb. 5.

Oakhurst debates incorporation

The future of Oakhurst will be faced Feb. 5 when approximately 4,000 voters will decide whether to incorporate and officially become a city.

The community, located in eastern Madera County, is centered around the intersections of State Routes 41 and 49, an area many drivers pass through on the way to Yosemite National Park southern entrance.

A public forum to discuss incorporation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Oakhurst Community Center.

Proponents of incorporation say they want more influence on future planning and development of the 13.1-mile area and better control over money the area generates.

Tim Madden, a mortgage broker with Financial Advantage, is in favor of incorporation. Madden works in Oakhurst but does not live there.

"We are a donor community (generating) $1.9 million annually. With that money, I believe we could thrive as a city," Madden said.

Tax money generated by the area is collected and dispersed by the Madera County Board of Supervisors, who decide when and how it is used.

With the money available to Oakhurst after incorporation, services such as a 24-hour medical facility, improved parks, after-school programs and programs for seniors would be possible, Madden believes.

In addition, he would like to see police protection concentrated to the proposed area to better protect businesses.

But Bruce Kennedy, a state planning lawyer with offices in Madera and Oakhurst, said a city isn't a requirement to have a medical facility.

After studying the fiscal analysis of the proposed incorporation, Kennedy contends the plan is poorly thought out.

"A fiscal analysis based on future projects is foolhardy at best. How can we know what is going to happen in 10 years. It was written a long time ago and it is already dated," Kennedy said.

"Rather than generating another level of government, such as a city council, we can perhaps get a better shake from Madera County supervisors another way," Kennedy added.

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Ramona Frances Ramona Frances is a staff columnist, writer and photographer for the Madera Tribune. You may contact Ramona at 674.8134 ext. 222 or by e-mail ramona (at) maderatribune.net The Madera Tribune online subscription To subscribe or log on, CLICK HERE. For more information first, CLICK HERE.