Under a 2006 agreement, the Town of Blooming Grove is set to dissolve and become part of the City of Madison by October 2027. But some April Hills neighbors have pushed to join McFarland instead, arguing they already have McFarland mailing addresses and live within the McFarland School District.

Justin Verhulst, a McFarland resident who submitted the annexation petition to the village, said the ties to the community run deep.

"Like there's so many things that tie us to the neighborhood," Verhulst said. "Our address won't change. It'll still be McFarland based on the zip code that we're in and the post office that we work with. So we're still going to be a McFarland address, regardless of what happens."

Verhulst said his family is already part of the McFarland community: his children attend the school district and his wife teaches at the high school.

Village Administrator Matt Schuenke said the annexation will not alter the village's 2027 budget or funding plan. He noted that while annexations are a routine way for communities to grow, this one is unusual in scale.

"Ultimately, annexations are a common method for communities to grow," Schuenke said. "It just that usually you start off with a farm field, not 400 people in that respect. So that part is a little different."

The vote marks a significant expansion for the village and resolves, at least for now, a question that has hung over April Hills residents as the Blooming Grove dissolution approaches. The annexation means the neighborhood will formally become part of McFarland rather than being absorbed into Madison, keeping residents within the school district and municipal services they say they already rely on.

Village officials did not immediately detail next steps for incorporating the newly annexed land into village services, but Schuenke's comments indicated the change is not expected to strain the village's finances.