By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
State Reps. Lorene Coates, D-Rowan, and Fred Steen, R-Rowan, introduced a local bill Thursday that would put a moratorium on all involuntary annexations by municipalities in Rowan County.
If passed, the moratorium would be in effect until June 30, 2010.
Coates and Steen sponsored a similar bill during last year’s short session of the General Assembly in response to citizen opposition over Salisbury’s involuntary annexation attempt of the N.C. 150 corridor.
Salisbury eventually withdrew that annexation proposal last spring.
The local bill introduced by Steen and Coates applies only to Rowan County and would affect all municipalities wholly or partly in Rowan, including Kannapolis.Meanwhile, state Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, has introduced a statewide bill that would require a vote on an involuntary annexation among the residents being annexed, if they request by petition.
At least 15 percent of the residents within the annexation area would have to sign and file a petition asking for the binding referendum.
According to Brock’s bill, the annexing municipality also would be given the option of including qualified voters of the city or town as part of the referendum “for” or “against” the extension of the municipal boundaries.
At least 15 percent of eligible city voters would have to sign a petition, too, according to Brock’s bill.
Toward the end of its annual retreat Friday afternoon, Salisbury City Council discussed where it was headed as far as a future annexation policy.
“It’s been a raw nerve, and we haven’t really wanted to talk about it,” said Councilman Mark Lewis, who brought up the annexation issue.
As part of its goal-setting for the next fiscal year, council members agreed to look at new growth strategies, which would include discussions on water-sewer utility extensions and annexation.
City staff members said Salisbury has always tried to comply with the state annexation law as it exists.
“If those principles change, we have to have different policies,” City Manager David Treme said.
Lewis said he raised the annexation question in efforts to determine what the city’s approach to annexation should be in the future.
He said it was all about process, “and I think our process needs to be changed.”