Involuntary Annexations
Tuesday, July 01 2008
by Laura Leslie
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State House lawmakers will decide today on a proposal to put involuntary annexations on hold. Laura Leslie reports.
The moratorium is recommended by a committee that’s been studying the state’s involuntary annexation law. Panel leaders say they’ve heard from thousands of angry citizens. Many say they’ve been the victims of land grabs by cities looking to boost their tax base, but delivering no services in return. Durham Democrat Paul Luebke says a nine-month moratorium would give the panel more time to work on changes.
"We plan to come back as a select committee and deal with specific reforms that identify problems in the legislation. The legislation is 49 years old. And there really have been some abuses. "
The moratorium would NOT apply to voluntary annexations. The measure won overwhelming approval on its first vote last night. It’s up for a final vote today.
