Knightdale—Town managers of all three eastern Wake County towns say the proposed moratorium on involuntary annexations won’t affect them.

If passed, House Bill 2367 will make involuntary annexations by towns or cities illegal if imposed before April 2009.

That will give the N.C. House enough time to come up with proposals to change the current laws on annexation, said Rep. Paul Leubke (D-Durham), a primary sponsor of the bill. Leubke said citizens have protested towns that annex and don’t provide services.

“There were citizens upset with what they thought were erroneous actions by city officials in various parts of the state,” he said. “They were charged 100 percent city taxes, but were not receiving 100 percent of city services.”

The bill passed the Judiciary II Committee, and it’s next step is the floor of the N.C. House of Representatives. Knightdale Assistant Town Manager Seth Lawless said the proposed legislation would not affect Knightdale.

“Currently, the town doesn’t have any plans, nor (has it) taken any action to do city initiated annexation.” Wendell Town Manager David Bone said the same is true of Wendell. But Bone said the bill as originally written extended the moratorium to satellite annexations.

He said that would have affected Wendell. He said a block on satellite annexation would keep the town from annexing any additional expansion of Wendell Falls.

“We think the current annexation regulations have served North Carolina well,” he said. “North Carolina has more AAA bonded municipalities than any other state in the country. Part of the reason for that sound financial status is ability to annex when appropriate. We would like the regulation to stay.” Zebulon Town Manager Rick Hardin said Zebulon doesn't have plans for any annexations. He said the moratorium, if passed, won’t affect the town.

Like Bone, he doesn’t think reform is needed.

“I don’t think it’s warranted,” he said. “Generally North Carolina is considered one of the better annexation states. Most of the other states look at North Carolina as a model for how to grow in an orderly fashion.”