Should cities in North Carolina be allowed to force annexation?

I have fought this so long and with such commitment and utilized so much information that I can honestly say Forced Annexation is nothing more than modern slavery, and anyone who supports it is a slavemonger and coward. Freedom may - sometimes - require us to face the future with a certain ammout of uncertainty (thus the courage), but it is better to face the future with freedom and uncertainty than with certainty as slaves.
People of NC. find your courage, decide what is worth fighting for, and for God's sake, the futures' sake, for your own sake - FIGHT BACK!!!
Visit my website lexingtontruth.com, join the stopncannexation and Fair annexation coalition (web).

The bottom line here folks is that too many people in this state feel that forced annexation is wrong. It is up to those of us who feel that way to actively be involved in electing individuals that will see to it that forced annexation ends.

SALISBURY ANNEXES THE RIGHT WAY!

Salisbury, Maryland starts with a Core Strategy plan, which regulates and guides development, balancing the protection of the districts’ environment and heritage with the needs of the residents. They do not forcibly annex their neighbors’ land.

In Salisbury, Maryland, one of the states which has learned that they need not use force in order to annex and grow, a petition for annexation is filed with the City. For a major annexation to begin, an annexation agreement is negotiated between the property owner and the governing body of the municipality. There is a fee schedule for annexation requests depending upon the size of the area to be annexed, which is paid to the City at the time that the annexation petition is filed.

Their Annexation Procedures and Principles state that “Annexation is a city building event. . . .It is worth noting that cities and towns do not typically pursue annexation….Instead, cities and towns . . . respond and react to annexation petitions/requests from property owners.”

On the rare occasions when the City does proactively seek to annex property, principled negotiation is used, which includes multi-party discussions and agreements. The City must obtain consent from the owners of not less than 25 % of the assessed value of real property in the area and from 25% of the people who both reside and are registered to vote in the area to be annexed.

Forty-five other states of our United States have similar policies.
Why not North Carolina?

Annexation should never be forced. Coercion makes it immoral. The voluntary way is best.
If you sanction some cities to conquer their neighbors without a vote, what moral leg do you stand on when a state like Virginia decides to annex North Carolina land? Would you let Tar Heels vote on THAT annexation?

I will not pay taxes forced on me for services I do not want or need.

Just shoot me and be done with it.

Forced annexation is legal, but it is wrong.

Years ago slavery was legal in the US and North Carolina. Was slavery right? You tell me. Many men of integrity and high moral character did not own slaves because it was wrong even tho it was legal.

I remember when segregation was legal. Was segregation wrong? You tell me. Again, many men of integrity and high moral character did not practice segregation because it was wrong.

Years ago, by law, women were denied the right to vote. Was this right? You tell me.

Years ago, children were allowed to work in cotton mills and other public jobs. My grand father was one of those children. Was this right?

Greedy city officials and NCLM officials don't care what is right or wrong as long as it is legal. Such people (one might call them thieves) should be thrown out of office and replaced with officials of good character.

Laws were changed to remedy the above bad laws. In like manner, the law allowing forced annexation is one of those bad laws that should be changed.

One last point. The NCLM and city officials are fond of bragging that NC cities have high credit ratings because of forced annexation. They conveniently forget to mention that the Local Govenment Commission helps cities to get and keep a good bond rating since they have to approve bond issues by the city.

Don't believe the Lies from the League.

Larry Wright
Rowan County

Citizens about to be forced into the city against their will usually already have water (well) and sewer services (septic tank) that they have already paid for. The city then wants to run city water and sewer lines to your street so you can pay thousands of dollars for their water and sewer services. Why should all of this money be wasted? There is no good reason for it. City greed is not a good reason. NCLM greed is not a good reason. Who needs two water systems and two sewer systems? Duplication of existing servies is very wasteful of taxpayer money.

Larry Wright
Rowan County

I call the present tax system in New Hanover county plain unfair! Why should anyone living in the arbitrarily drawn "city limits" pay double taxes for the ever mentioned "same services?"
I go on to say, that city dwellers are assuming more than their fair share of community/metro responsible.
First and foremost, it's mainly about the money. If it were half the price to live in the city, I'm sure annexation would sail through.
CSNC has come up with the first fair, common sense proposal: Charge the city residents a discounted county property tax rate, then, it would happen that the county property owners would make up the difference with higher county rates for themselves.
Then the county property owners have all the glorious benefits of government by the county, while the city property owners are no longer swindled.
And our forefathers can then rest in peace, according to the anti-annexation group.
City property tax payers should also unite!

The number of people who have been abused by this poorly written law is shameful. Services promised are often never delivered and citizens are taxed out of their lifelong homes.
Make Government be an organ of the people not the other way around.

All you need to know about forced annexation can be found at http://www.stopncannexation.com/.
Please visit and learn how to help us in the fight. This is a fight we all need to invest in. We are fighting for our freedom in the right to control our property.

When I look at this whole issue, I am very much reminded of those who founded our country. Those here lived with forced taxation by the British. This resulted in a fairly famous tea party in Boston followed by the war of independence. What's the difference between those times and these when an external group decides to tax people against their will?

I understand the need for municipalities to raise revenues however forced annexation of people is not the way to go about raising them. It clearly equates to taxation without representation prior to the annexation. It strikes me that if cities are so strapped for funds, maybe they aren't properly managing the funds they have. Why would I want to join an organization that wants to force me to pay into their miss-managed coffers?

The United States is a constitutional representative republic. By definition that means that our form of government is based on several basic principals: citizen owned government, accountability of elected officials, citizen approved public debt, and voluntary association. Forced annexation violates every one of these principals. Moreover, the public hearing that is legally mandated is nothing more than a sham. In fact, a Centrolina Council of Government planner has encouraged elected officials to not attend these hearings, but to let staff conduct the hearings so that the emotional public may be calmed and have their questions answered by experts. Not only does this indicate a predetermined outcome, it is incredibly arrogant and elitist. Additionally, sales tax collected throughout the county is apportioned to the municipalities, and do not city residents also use services provided outside of their city? Traditionally the cities zone at higher residential density than the counties, which results in higher school census and more school classrooms. This inevitably results in higher county property taxes for ALL citizens in the county; municipal and unincorporated taxpayer alike. In this situation, the unincorporated taxpayer is subsidizing the municipal taxpayer. Addressing the issue of taxes, let us not forget that the taxpayers forced into the municipal tax system is being forced to pay taxes on debt they did not approve through a vote, or did not approve through voluntary association, i.e.: the taxpayer voluntarily moved into that taxing district. Finally, what recourse do annexed citizens have if the annexation is not successful? Many mayors tell those people that they can move. Yes, let us allow them to be annexed and then tell the involuntary citizens, er taxpayers, that if they do not like the situation, they can move.

Annexation per se is not necessarily bad, but Forced Annexation, under Statute 167A is. This statute has evolved over 50+ years from a tool to provide needed water and sewer (mentioned over 24 times in almost every paragraph) to abusive use by municipalities who want to increse their tax base providing nothing needed or wanted in return. In the case of the Pinehurst annexation of Pinewild, water and sewer is provided by Moore County (who will lose $300K of sales tax and Powell Bill revenue.) Pinehurst is providing no needed or wanted services - in fact, most perceive post annexation services as inferior to pre annexation services! Other municipalities have used forced annexation, but have no intention or capability of providing water and sewer services.

...then you obviously DON'T believe in democracy, and would have done much better in pre-revolution France or England before the Magna Carta.

This country has never believed in rule by decree, and for a group of people who YOU never elected to simply declare that you are now one of their "subjects"....well....I now understand why Jefferson was a great backer of the Second Amendment and revolution when needed.