What Happened Behind Closed Doors?

The Draft language of the Annexation Moratorium Bill went out publicly today to a select audience. Here it is:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to adopt a moratorium on involuntary
annexations, as RECOMMENDED by the House Select Committee on MUNICIPAL
Annexation.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. No resolution of consideration, resolution of intent, or annexation ordinance may be adopted under Parts 2 or 3 of Article 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes from the date this act becomes law until June 30, 2009. If any annexation proceeding has been initiated under those Parts prior to the date this act becomes effective but the annexation ordinance has not yet been adopted, any provision of law requiring any action or notice by the municipality or any person within a certain period of time is tolled during the suspension of authority provided by this section.

SECTION 2. An annexation ordinance adopted under Parts 2 or 3 of Article 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes that has an effective date on or after the day this act becomes law shall not become effective until after June 30, 2009, unless the municipality by ordinance adopts a new effective date later than June 30, 2009 for the annexation ordinance. An annexation ordinance that was adopted under Parts 2 or 3 of Article 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes prior to the effective date of this act and is the subject of litigation in any court on theeffective date of this act shall not become effective until after June 30, 2009, unless the municipality by ordinance adopts a new effective date later than June 30, 2009 for the annexation ordinance.

SECTION 3. This act shall not apply to any annexation ordinance adopted under Parts 2 or 3 of Article 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes that has an effective date on or before the day this act becomes law, if the ordinance is not yet effective solely due to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

SECTION 4. If any municipality has adopted its budget ordinance for the 2008-2009 fiscal year prior to the date this act becomes effective and the total amount of assessed valuation estimated in that budget ordinance has been reduced because of this act, the municipality may amend the budget ordinance to account for this act including establishment of a different tax rate.

SECTION 5. This act is effective when it becomes law.

So what happened to the Satellite Annexation Moratorium??
When did the Committee meet to decide to exclude this from the language?
Did their vote on April 23 mean anything at all?
Is this the way that things are done?
Now you see it now you don't?
I guess so.....

What else is scheduled to disappear behind the closed doors??

At least one Committee member is quite proud of the "NO" vote they cast regarding the idea of a moratorium and is actively working on behalf of the cities.
Hey Doug! We need you to lobby as hard for us!

The NCLM is busy collecting information from the cities showing how a moratorium would impact them. They will bring all this to the General Assembly as ammunition against our pleas to the GA to put a stop to the abuses of the current annexation laws.

Have you called or written to the House and Senate Leadership and your local Representative and Senator?
House Leadership, Joe Hackney 919-733-3451 Email: Joeh@ncleg.net
Senate Leadership, Marc Basnight (919) 733-6854 Email: Marcb@ncleg.net

List of Senators: here
Representatives: here

The House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation will meet Monday, May 19, 2008, at 4:00 pm in Room 643 of the Legislative Office Building.

Have you marked your calendar for June 4th?
See the information about the Rally @ http://stopncannexation.com/rally_2007.htm

Please come to Raleigh on that day for a Citizens Rally in Raleigh to counter the NCLM's Legislative Lobbying Day "Town Hall Day". We need to be there by the hundreds to make our voice even louder against the City Lobbyists.

Please consider donating to StopNCAnnexation to keep the website online and to help provide materials at the Rally and to continue providing help to groups fighting annexations.

Thank YOU!

Cathy Heath
StopNCAnnexation