Gubernatorial Candidates on Annexation

Posted by Daren Bakst at 12:10 PM

The other day John Hood posted an Asheville Citizens-Times article reporting on Pat McCrory and Bev Perdue's statements on annexation reform.  The candidates comments were made at an Asheville forum.  Here is a summary in Q & A format based on what was reported:

1) Which candidate supported the annexation moratorium (which passed the House but was killed in the Senate because of Senator Rand)?

- Neither candidate supported the moratorium.
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2) Did either candidate come out and support property owners having a vote on a proposed annexation?

- Yes, Bev Perdue "kind of" supported a vote.  From the article: "Perdue said she would consider giving landowners power to vote down involuntary annexations, but she would wait for recommendations from a special state commission."

- McCrory made no statement supporting a vote.

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3) Did either candidate parrot the North Carolina League of Municipalities' most recent talking points about just making sure that cities do annexation correctly, suggesting that there is nothing wrong with the annexation law itself?

- Yes, Pat McCrory. 

From the article: "McCrory said the state should check that cities use involuntary annexation correctly, as he said Charlotte has done during his tenure as mayor.

“I think an oversight committee has to … evaluate if a city or town has done it right or wrong, and if they have done it wrong, what are the ramifications,” he said.

Note: As forced annexation opponents know, as done anyone that takes two seconds to look at the annexation law, the annexation law itself is the problem.  It isn't that a bunch of cities are violating the annexation law--the problem is the law allows cities to do whatever they want when it comes to forced annexation.  McCrory's argument is the same used by Rep. Blue when he tried to kill the moratorium bill in the House Judiciary II committee.

- Bev Perdue did not parrot these talking points. 

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