Municipal deannexation bill moves to Senate Rules
House Bill 199 would create a statutory process for certain property owners to seek removal from municipal boundaries.
RALEIGH — A bill creating a new municipal deannexation process moved to the Senate Rules Committee on Thursday after passing the House earlier this week.
House Bill 199, titled “Authorize Municipal Deannexation,” passed the House on third reading Tuesday in a 109-1 vote, according to the North Carolina General Assembly bill record. The Senate received the measure Thursday, passed it on first reading and referred it to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee.
The bill page lists affected state law in Chapter 160A, which governs cities and towns. The measure’s listed subjects include annexation, city councils, local government, municipalities, landowners, property, taxation, planning and zoning, notification, elections, appointments, courts and public officials.
The legislation has bipartisan sponsorship. Primary sponsors listed on the bill page are Reps. Carson Smith, Budd, Pyrtle and Logan, with additional sponsors from both parties.
The bill passed the House with broad support after receiving a 95-9 second-reading vote July 2 and a 109-1 third-reading vote Aug. 4. The bill record lists the measure as public, with changed text and roll-call votes.
Deannexation refers to removing property from a municipality’s corporate limits. Such changes can affect property taxes, municipal services, zoning, emergency services, voting districts and local government responsibilities.
The bill record does not list any counties specifically cited, meaning the proposal is structured as a statewide statutory change rather than a local act for a single community.
The measure now awaits action in the Senate Rules Committee. If the Senate amends the bill, it would need additional House action before final passage. If approved by both chambers in the same form, it would move through enrollment and gubernatorial action.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
