Tell 'em to vote NO!

HB 524 (Annexation - Ombnibus Changes), or the bill that we do not like, was put on the House calendar yesterday. During session Rep. Michaux requested a fiscal note for the annexation bill. Basically, he wanted to know how much $$ is going to be needed to implement this policy. This led to a vote to send this bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Please contact the House Appropriations Committee and urge them to vote AGAINST HB 524 (Annexation - Omnibus Changes). After a huge ground swell of supporters of significant and meaningful annexation reform, the legislature has decided that the citizen's voices really don't matter too much. A Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) came out of the Finance Committee and it literally does nothing for citizens. What did we want and what is in the PCS?

We wanted a meaningful voice through a vote.
We got an amendment stating that if 15% of registered voters signed a petition, a vote would take place. The act of gathering signatures would have to be done within 69-99 days. If enough signatures are collected (which is highly, highly unlikely), eligible voters would be those in the proposed annexation area and those within the municipality. This would mean that those opposed to the annexation would have to convince those (within the municipality, most likely) to vote against the annexation.
For analysis on the "Vote Charade", see Daren Bakst of the John Locke Foundation's blog.

We wanted the city to bear the burden of water & infrastructure costs.
An attempt to put the responsibility of paying for water & infrastructure costs on the city, rather than the citizens who did not want (and in most cases, don't need) these services, was shot down. This change could have saved many people from being forced out of their homes because of these costs. These infrastructure fees are $10,000+.

We wanted oversight from the County Commissioners who represent those living in the city and the county.
We got oversight by the Local Government Commission. The LGC will look at the city's financial feasibility for annexation. How does this, in any way, reflect on the citizen's need or desire to be annexed into a city? It doesn't! The LGC does not represent citizens in any way.

Where in this scenario are citizen's voices able to be heard? Not through the "vote" that is in the PCS. It would be nearly impossible to have direct representation. Forget about indirect representation through elected officials because the LGC will have "oversight". And who bears the burden of infrastructure costs? The citizen. After all is said and done, whose property will be restricted due to zoning? The citizen. And who's property taxes will increase? The citizen.

Contact the House Appropriations members and voice your concern over this issue and urge them to vote against this bill.