Involuntary annexation is a bad thing. However, state legislators representing Buncombe County backed Sullivan acts II and III, laws crafted uniquely for Asheville that prevent the city from using its water resources as an incentive for voluntary annexation.
Some legislators, with constituencies interested in building on the outskirts of Asheville to take advantage of municipal amenities without paying municipal taxes, are now sponsoring legislation against forced annexation. Bruce Goforth (D-Buncombe), who co-sponsored the Sullivan acts, chairs the House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation. To be fair about matters, the committee is holding a public hearing in Buncombe County simultaneously with tonight’s city council meeting.
In one-on-one conversations through the years, members of the Buncombe County legislative delegation have shared that Asheville lacks the fiscal responsibility to manage its resources and therefore needs the punitive legislation. Though I agree with the diagnosis if not the prescription, I think the real reason for the anti-Asheville legislation is that those with louder lobbying voices tend to get the kind of legislation they want.