* What is the purpose of the amendment?
To allow all Shelby County residents to vote on any annexation or deannexation rather than have cities and towns make the decisions by themselves.
* How many signatures do you need?
We need 90,000 signatures.
* Who can sign the petition?
Registered voters of Shelby County .
* What if I’m not a registered voter but I want to sign the petition?
You can fill out a registration card to become a registered voter and then sign the petition.
* When does the petition drive end?
The petition must be filed by 4:30pm on May 31, 2010.
* When would this be on the ballot?
This would be on the August 5th, 2010 ballot.
* When would this go into effect?
If approved, this would become effective September 30, 2010.
* Who is affected by this amendment?
Everyone in Shelby County . Those who were annexed, no matter when they were annexed, may file a petition to be deannexed if they feel that the municipality they belong to has not up held their end of the bargain concerning lack of services, miss use of tax revenues, and pretty much promising better government and not delivering. Those who are in unincorporated Shelby County can no longer be annexed without putting it to a vote. They also have the right to remain unincorporated or become their own city or town. And if the citizens live in a municipality they love then they now have the tools to hold that municipality accountable if they begun to neglect their citizens
services.
services.
* Who will be able to vote on this amendment?
Every registered voter in Shelby County .
* If a unincorporated area votes to become part of a municipality, is that municipality required to extend its boundaries?
No, if a municipality is petitioned by the unincorporated citizens that border their municipality to incorporate them, the city can refuse to annex them. For example the city doesn’t have the ability to provide that area with adequate services as of yet.
* How many votes, that is, what percentage is needed to pass a deannexation amendment? Why that amount?
Three-fourths (3/4) of the qualified voters. Because if 3/4 or 75% of the total number of people living in a territory that vote in the election wish’s to be deannexed then that means less then 25% of the people that voted are satisfied with the municipality. That shows that a greater majority of the people are unsatisfied rather then 51% leaving one to believe that half the people are satisfied and half plus one are not.
* In the future what percentage would be needed to annex a unincorporated area? Why that amount?
A simple majority would decide the question in a vote. Because that is the same requirement under current state law for any unincoparted area to become its own town or city.
* How does this compare to current voter approval percentages?
These are the same as under current state annexation laws when two municipalities attempt to become one.
* Would municipalities be able to reserve areas for future annexation like they can now?
No, the current practice by municipalities of reserving unincorporated areas will no longer be valid.
* What happens to the infrastructure like schools and police stations if an area is deannexed?
These facilities would be transferred to county administration and county services.
* If an area is deannexed, would their county taxes increase?
They shouldn’t, but you defiantly will not be paying the municapal tax any more.
* If an area is deannexed, would prior city taxes be reimbursed to them?
No, but the taxes would be applied to any debt that was caused to a municipality by the deannexing territory.
* If this passes, how would this affect the overall administrative staffing at the county?
It should stay the same.
* If this passes, how would this affect consolidation of city and county systems like schools and law enforcement agencies?
Their wouldn’t be any consolidation. Consolidation is the opposite of annexation and deannexation. Consolidation is the county and city coming together, there would be nothing to annex or deannex.
* For a proposed annexation, who would vote on it – the residents of the area? The city involved? The whole county?
For annexation only the citizens in the unincorporated territory that is attempting to be annexed by a municipality will be able to vote if they will be annexed or not. No one else.
* How would boundaries be set for proposed annexation areas?
There would be no more proposed annexation areas. Any city that boarders an unincorporated territory in the County can attempt to annex that area by putting it to a vote for the people of that area.
* If there is a ‘pocket’ of area that does not want to be annexed, can they be surrounded by a city’s annexation effort?
As long as the surrounding territory boarders the city then, yes.
* How does annexation affect islands, e..g. Harbor Town ?
The same as any other territory.