No meaningful amendments were introduced today in the House Appropriations meeting.

There were no amendments introduced to:

  • Provide county oversight
  • Require meaningful services so that a municipality has to provide just one service that is necessary or gives annexation victims a significant benefit (i.e. codifying the Nolan v. Village of Marvin case)
  • Change the title of the bill so it could be amended on the House floor
  • Strengthen the LGC’s “oversight” in the bill so that it could at least have some teeth.
  • Require municipalities to pay for the costs of water and sewer infrastructure

There were no amendments to even fix the bill so that it would at least not hurt property owners, including:

1) Taking out the existing language that would define meaningful services as something other than what is meaningful.  The language also would allow duplication of existing services such as expressly allowing cities to provide one extra cop to an area with excellent police service.

2) Taking out the language that will force individuals to pay for water and sewer infrastructure because municipalities (which provide water and sewer to their residents) would be required to provide water and sewer within three years.