FAST FACTS:
The Countrywood subdivision is one of the most recently annexed areas into the city of Memphis. Some of the things homeowners got out of the deal are obvious, like city sanitation services and streets lights. Others were not so obvious and even unwanted.
"It may have something to do with the economy that the housing market just fell down after we were annexed and my house went down a lot. Like I said, it may be the economy but it happened to come about the same time as the annexation and houses just aren't selling at all," said Skill Wilson, homeowner.
For those not pleased with being annexed, Mark Skoda and his group the Memphis Tea Party want them to have options. No vote is required for a city in Shelby County to annex an unincorporated area. He's proposing a law to change the county charter.
"This really requires a vote of the people before an annexation initiative is actually approved," said Skoda.
If annexation is approved under the same proposed law, the people could again vote to d-annex.
Skoda said, "If you think about it sometimes the city is not providing services or even the suburbs are not providing services that they offered when it annexed that particular unincorporated area. So, people would have a choice to first of all d-annex."
Skoda and those who support the law are circulating these petitions. They need 90,000 signatures to get the proposal on the August ballot. They believe setting up boundaries for annexation could ward off another controversial issue. That issue is consolidation.
"A lot of people say let's just keep annexing and annexing and eventually there's no one unincorporated. So, why don't we just consolidate," warned Skoda.
The Memphis Tea Party is working against a deadline. For the measure to make the August ballot, they must have the required 90,000 signatures in 75 days.
- Group proposes law require vote before annexation
- New law would also allow for d-annexation
- Group must get 90,000 signatures for August ballot
The Countrywood subdivision is one of the most recently annexed areas into the city of Memphis. Some of the things homeowners got out of the deal are obvious, like city sanitation services and streets lights. Others were not so obvious and even unwanted.
"It may have something to do with the economy that the housing market just fell down after we were annexed and my house went down a lot. Like I said, it may be the economy but it happened to come about the same time as the annexation and houses just aren't selling at all," said Skill Wilson, homeowner.
For those not pleased with being annexed, Mark Skoda and his group the Memphis Tea Party want them to have options. No vote is required for a city in Shelby County to annex an unincorporated area. He's proposing a law to change the county charter.
"This really requires a vote of the people before an annexation initiative is actually approved," said Skoda.
If annexation is approved under the same proposed law, the people could again vote to d-annex.
Skoda said, "If you think about it sometimes the city is not providing services or even the suburbs are not providing services that they offered when it annexed that particular unincorporated area. So, people would have a choice to first of all d-annex."
Skoda and those who support the law are circulating these petitions. They need 90,000 signatures to get the proposal on the August ballot. They believe setting up boundaries for annexation could ward off another controversial issue. That issue is consolidation.
"A lot of people say let's just keep annexing and annexing and eventually there's no one unincorporated. So, why don't we just consolidate," warned Skoda.
The Memphis Tea Party is working against a deadline. For the measure to make the August ballot, they must have the required 90,000 signatures in 75 days.
