annexation

The annexation law, despite hollow claims to the contrary, imposes few requirements on municipalities and offers little protection for citizens when it comes to forced annexation. Municipalities can forcibly annex areas that do not meet density requirements.

RALEIGH – North Carolina law places few limits on cities and towns seeking to annex property owners by force. That’s the key message in a new John Locke Foundation…

RALEIGH – North Carolina’s annexation laws should be “significantly reformed to protect the citizens of North Carolina,” according to a Statement of Principles adopted by more than a dozen North…

RALEIGH – North Carolina needs to scrap forced annexation laws that violate democratic principles, help cities ignore their budget problems, and exclude minority neighborhoods. That’s the conclusion of a new…

Municipalities legally can acquire unincorporated areas next to their borders without the consent of the residents living in those areas. This process, called forced annexation, was supposed to promote sound urban development in areas that need municipal services. Instead, it has created a system in which cities ignore the areas most in need of annexation. Even worse, forced annexation is undemocratic and has contributed to the exclusion of minorities from municipalities. Forced annexation needs to be eliminated immediately, and significant annexation reform needs to be adopted.