Who’s really in charge ó league or legislature?In the recent article headlined “Annexation bill advances,” N.C. League of Municipalities lobbyist Andy Romanet said that “the group is willing to consider changes to the annexation rules”
I thought changes had to be approved by the North Carolina House and the Senate, not the League of Municipalties!
This same Mr. Romanet recently attended the House Select Committee on Annexation meeting and spoke to the committee at the end, indicating his displeasure with the fact that he was not given the opportunity to view a presentation by opponents to annexation in advance of the meeting. Why should the League of Municipalities have privileges that North Carolina’s citizens do not have?
And the league has proudly taken full credit for the stalling of 24 bills for annexation reform, which were turned over to the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee!
The hearings by the House Select Committee on Annexation have revealed statewide failure by cities to achieve the goal of providing urban services to communities that truly need services, and much evidence of cities using forced annexation to bail themselves out of financial dilemmas instead. For that reason, the committe has recommended a statewide moratorium on forced annexations. The response to that moratorium bill will tell us whom our senators represent.
Do our senators represent us? Or the League? Will they address the 100-plus House and Senate bills for moratoriums and reform this year? Or will all of these die because of undue influence from a powerful lobbying group?
ó Marie Howell
Salisbury
A good season
It was our son’s last year to play recreation league baseball. The past several years we had played in Landis but decided to go to China Grove because they changed to Cal Ripken Babe Ruth baseball, which was the reason we played in Landis the three years prior. We also went to China Grove hoping that the league would be more organized. China Grove did a good job with scheduling, and the parking was not as bad as we had been warned.
After our first practice, we noticed our son was the only sixth grader who would be “aging out.” We were in for a long season, knowing most of the other teams had several sixth and seventh graders. So we asked Rowan Little League if they had an opening. We requested a certain team but were told that the team we requested was already solid and there was another team that needed help. We had 18 games in Rowan and 12 in China Grove. Out of 30 games, we only overlapped for three. My son had a great year in both leagues. We were 9-9 in the Rowan league and 1-11 in the China Grove League.
We would like to thank Rowan Little League for a quality league. Your fields, parking, uniforms and coaches are a class act. The parents at both organizations were great. Our son is sitting here writing this with me and wanted to add that the pitching talent is better at Rowan but the quality of talent was even. Thanks to the coaches and parents at both leagues and the administration of Rowan Little League for a great season.
ó Hunter and Tyler Fuller
Salisbury