Jul 05 2009
Annexation Changes Not Enough
RALEIGH The House Finance Committee changed a wide-ranging annexation reform bill Thursday to allow affected residents a chance to trigger a vote on whether to carry out a municipal expansion sought by elected leaders.
A referendum would be allowed if 15 percent of registered voters within the existing city limits and the area to be annexed signed a petition seeking a vote.
“I don’t feel good about explaining to people why we don’t have a bigger voice in the process” for affected property owners, said Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson, the House majority leader. “This amendment addresses the core issue of annexation.”
Why do people within the exiting city limits get to sign a petition to have a vote on whether or not people outside the city limits be forcibly annexed into their city? Any change that does not flat out end the practice of forced annexation is wrong, period. What is so difficult about outlawing it? Why is the North Carolina legislature behaving so cowardly over this?
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For the same reason why the Democratic Party failed to send representatives to the Independence Day Tea Party. Democrats such as my future opponent Rosa Gill are arrogant in that they only represent their special interest. They ignore the taxpaying citizens in this state and will not do anything to return power to the people. And unless us Republican challengers in difficult districts get the money needed to win those districts will remain Democratic.
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“Why is the North Carolina legislature behaving so cowardly over this?”
I will give you a answer it is called North Carolina League of Municipalities
It is amazing that us taxpayers pay for this corrupt organization. They are there to water down bills or completely poison the bills to make you vote against it.
In this annexation issue there was a part of the bill where any municipality would have to pay for all the sewer and water hook ups if they want to annex a area into the city. It was voted down.
One of the worse apsects is telling the person on a fixed income he will need to pay over $10,000 to get water and sewer. what a joke.
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About a year ago, the NC House of Representatives passed a bill for a moratorium on forced annexations, due to the widespread abuse of the current law.
Tomorrow they will have the opportunity to pass a bill for real reform of this law. It remains to be seen whether or not H524 will be amended enough to make it real reform. The percentage required to petition for a referendum is higher than the percentage that turns out for most city elections, which makes it almost impossible for county residents to obtain that many signatures in the times allotted. That needs to be changed. And even if it is amended and passed, it will still have to pass the Senate where Rand Rules, and where the moratorium bill died last year.
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