City of Middlevale
City of Middlevale Annexation Negotiation
MGT/445
January 9, 2012
The City of Middlevale is introducing a plan to annex properties currently outside of the city limits. The annexation process is due to budget constraints and the cities inability to continue funding emergency services to these outlying areas. The citizens in the proposed annexed areas will be required, if the annexation is passed by the state legislature, to pay city property taxes and city sales tax on purchases made in Middlevale. The citizens residing in the unincorporated area are either lower income households or elderly. Most moved to the unincorporated area to avoid paying the taxes associated with incorporation into the Middlevale city limits. Without annexation, the citizens of the unincorporated area would be without emergency services. Both the city and the effected citizens are poised to begin negotiations to find a solution that will mutually benefit both parties.
Negotiation is the act of discussing or conversing with another person or persons with the goal of reaching a mutually agreeable solution. The agreed upon solution may be fully or partially agreeable to both parties. This process is used when one person needs or wants something from another and seeks to gain their support or cooperation in obtaining his or her objective (Lewicki, Barry, & Saunders, 2006). There are two types of negotiations. Collaborative negotiation refers to focusing on mutual gain for both parties, whereas adversarial negotiation seeks to maximize gain for one party or the other, but not both. In a collaborative negotiation, the two parties seek to come to an agreement through the strength of a relationship or multiple options. Adversarial negotiations have the parties withholding information and there is little regard considered for the relationship between the two parties.
In negotiations there are key stakeholders. These are usually the parties that have the most to gain or lose in the
MGT/445
January 9, 2012
The City of Middlevale is introducing a plan to annex properties currently outside of the city limits. The annexation process is due to budget constraints and the cities inability to continue funding emergency services to these outlying areas. The citizens in the proposed annexed areas will be required, if the annexation is passed by the state legislature, to pay city property taxes and city sales tax on purchases made in Middlevale. The citizens residing in the unincorporated area are either lower income households or elderly. Most moved to the unincorporated area to avoid paying the taxes associated with incorporation into the Middlevale city limits. Without annexation, the citizens of the unincorporated area would be without emergency services. Both the city and the effected citizens are poised to begin negotiations to find a solution that will mutually benefit both parties.
Negotiation is the act of discussing or conversing with another person or persons with the goal of reaching a mutually agreeable solution. The agreed upon solution may be fully or partially agreeable to both parties. This process is used when one person needs or wants something from another and seeks to gain their support or cooperation in obtaining his or her objective (Lewicki, Barry, & Saunders, 2006). There are two types of negotiations. Collaborative negotiation refers to focusing on mutual gain for both parties, whereas adversarial negotiation seeks to maximize gain for one party or the other, but not both. In a collaborative negotiation, the two parties seek to come to an agreement through the strength of a relationship or multiple options. Adversarial negotiations have the parties withholding information and there is little regard considered for the relationship between the two parties.
In negotiations there are key stakeholders. These are usually the parties that have the most to gain or lose in the
References: Karrass, C.L. (1995). Give and Take (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Stanford Press. Lewicki, R.J., Barry, B., & Saunders, D.M. (2006). Negotiation (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.