People opposing involuntary annexations won victories in the General Assembly on Tuesday. A Senate committee approved a bill placing a moratorium on involuntary annexation.
The House gave its initial approval to bills repealing involuntary annexations in two cities – Kinston and Lexington.
The Senate Finance Committee approved the moratorium bill, which would place a halt on involuntary annexations until July 1, 2012. Last week, the committee had included a provision in the bill that would have exempted a annexation in Charlotte, where the city has already spent $5 million in infrastructure preparing for that annexation. That provision was removed from the version approved by the committee on Tuesday. That bill is sponsored by Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie.
The Kinston deannexation bill passed the House by a 68-46 vote. “This basically was a money grab by the city of Kinston,” said Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir.
Rep. William Wainwright, D-Craven, opposed the Kinston deannexation bill. He said passage of the bill would set up a “slippery slope” that would “begin a process of destroying the stability of our cities.”
A similar bill, which would repeal a Lexington annexation, passed the House by a 68-47 vote. That bill was sponsored by Rep. Rayne Brown, R-Lexington, who made annexation an issue in the fall campaign.
Final House votes on the Kinston and Lexington bills are expected on Wednesday.
We feel that this abuse of power by cities should be stopped. Talk about taxation without
representation. As a property owner you have no say about it or any vote till all is said and done. If people want to be in a city they should
buy property within a city or all citizens living in a proposed annexation area are allowed a chance to vote on the issue