RALEIGH (AP) ó A House panel is scheduled to consider a plan to freeze citiesí and townsí ability to gobble up county land without residentsí consent.
The House Finance Committee will consider a one-year moratorium on involuntary annexations Thursday. That period would give lawmakers time to study North Carolinaís annexation laws and propose changes.
Involuntary annexation opponents were at the Legislative Building last week to ask lawmakers to strip cities and towns of their ability to add county land without residentsí consent. They said such annexations drive up residentsí taxes.
The plan to be discussed Thursday would need the backing of the House and Senate before it could go to Gov. Mike Easley.