For years, involuntary annexation has been a lightning rod in the halls of the General Assembly. Voices on both sides of the issue have fought for years with no substantive legislation on the issue. When Republicans won control of the North Carolina House, we committed ourselves to enacting meaningful annexation reform for the first time in recent memory. Over the past several weeks, House leaders have met with cities, towns, property owners, and various individuals with interests on both sides of the annexation issue. All stakeholders had a voice in the process that yielded HB 845, sponsored by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, undoubtedly the most comprehensive annexation reform legislation in recent history.
The bill was necessary to curb what has become, in some instances, a practice of aggressive forced annexation against the will of affected property owners. House Bill 845 stipulates, among other proposals, that municipalities will be required to cease any annexation attempt for 3 years if 60% of the affected property owners oppose the annexation. The bill represents a historic compromise on an issue that has been defined by controversy for over a decade. It passed overwhelmingly on the House floor, garnering 107 votes on the third reading. Such a bipartisan vote is a monumental victory, and I salute Rep. LaRoque and the House members who supported this important compromise legislation.
