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opposition-to-annexation-spills-into-council-meeting-233856.html

Opposition to annexation spills into council meeting | By Eric Klamut | Rocky Mount Telegram | Monday, November 10, 2008

A group of Nash County residents that Rocky Mount leaders are planning to annex into the city compared the proposed measure on Monday evening to "taxation without representation."

During the public comment portion of Monday evening's City Council meeting, a few residents from the Oak Level Community Against Forced Annexation — a newly instituted group that aims to halt the city's annexation plan of more than 1,383 acres in Nash County — spoke out against the city's second phase of its annexation plan.

Tom Warren, a Carriage Farm Road resident, said Rocky Mount city leaders chose a bad time to annex property into the city given the current state of the local and national economy.

"Forced annexation is unfair," Warren said. "It's undemocratic and un-American."

As part of the second phase of Rocky Mount's annexation plan, the city is proposing to involuntarily annex more than 2,200 people and 1,733 acres of land in both Nash and Edgecombe counties.

The second phase of the city's annexation plan comes on the heels of the recent annexation of 2,500 residents and 3,722 acres of property in both counties, which was effective June 30.

With nearly 100 residents of the proposed annexation area turning out for the City Council meeting, Warren said given that the Oak Level community already has the services it needs such as fire and police protection, the only motive behind the second phase of the city's annexation plan is to reap more tax revenue.

If the annexation is approved by Rocky Mount leaders, the city stands to gain an added tax base of more than $93 million from the five proposed annexation areas in the Twin Counties.

Ronnie Beasley, also a resident of the area proposed to be annexed, said he chose to buy a house in Nash County because he did not want to live in Rocky Mount.

"It should be a basic right to choose where you want to live," Beasley said. "If I wanted a house in Rocky Mount, I would have chosen to buy a house in Rocky Mount."

Beasley recounted a story concerning segregation when he was in the military in the early 1960s and commented on how he and his fellow white soldiers vocally objected to the discrimination against black soldiers in his unit.

"When something is morally wrong, we have to fight to correct these wrongs," he said, adding the plan is reminiscent of the "taxation without representation" sentiment of the Revolutionary War era.

At last month's second City Council meeting, members of the Oak Level Community Against Forced Annexation presented council members with a petition signed by more than 900 residents who opposed being annexed into Rocky Mount.

Last week, the group spoke to the Nash County Board of Commissioners at its monthly meeting.

At that meeting, the commissioners approved to adopt a resolution asking Rocky Mount to halt its annexation plan until members of the N.C. General Assembly can reconsider a moratorium bill on annexations statewide, and further study the state's annexation laws.

A public informational meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at First Baptist Church on South Church Street. A public hearing will follow at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 also at First Baptist Church.

The meetings are being held at First Baptist in anticipation of a large turnout of residents.

Following those meetings, the City Council is expected to consider an annexation ordinance at its Dec. 18 council meeting. The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

If the City Council approves the annexation ordinance, the second phase of the plan will become effective Dec. 31, 2009.

For more on the second phase of Rocky Mount's annexation plan, visit www.rockymountnc.gov/annexation.html.

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