New Government Allows Reserve Area to Vote on Annexation

By Rebuild Government on June 10th, 2010

The Memphis and Shelby County Metro Charter Commission agreed today that annexation by the new metro government won’t take place in certain areas if people in those areas oppose it.

The vote, considered a centerpiece in the new metro charter, represents a major change in past annexations here, where citizens have been denied the right to vote on whether they are annexed by a city.

If the metro government were to be enacted, the growth plan for the next ten years would mean:

The City of Memphis reserve areas become the “urban services district reserve areas.” This means people who live within these boundaries get to vote on whether they want to be annexed.

All suburban cities will have their same annexation reserve areas. Residents in those cities will not get to vote, but will continue under the existing agreement and enjoy the same rights they do currently.

“We know that people who live in reserve areas of Memphis have worried for years about their neighborhoods being annexed by the city without their approval. With the new charter, we wanted to empower these citizens by giving them a chance to vote for or against annexation before it happens,” said Memphis and Shelby County Charter Commissioner Rufus Washington.

“Our goal is to create a better metro government, not one that stifles people,” Washington added.

“I like the idea of having more choice in deciding the future of my family and my neighborhood,” said Ryan Goble, a concerned citizen who lives in unincorporated Shelby County.

The Memphis and Shelby County Metro Charter Commission will file the new charter with the election commission by August 10, 2010. Memphis and Shelby County citizens will vote separately on the new charter November 2, 2010.

Contact: Bonny Kinney

Communications Director

Rebuild Government

(901) 275-5500