Rep. McCoy Files Annexation Legislation

Representative Peter McCoy filed new annexation legislation last week in Columbia.   The bill modifies legal contiguity in a way that will allow people who were left out of the Town in 2012 to be included. 

House Bill 4203 applies when a municipality is entirely located within a special purpose district that has an elected governing body.   If the bill passes, then any property that would be contiguous to the municipality but for a break in the contiguity of the special purpose district would be legally contiguous with the municipality.   

The Town is entirely included in the JIPSD and the JIPSD is governed by elected Commissioners.   The breaks in contiguity of the JIPSD are areas annexed by the City of Charleston and the City of Folly Beach.   After the bill is signed into law, parcels within the JIPSD and just beyond the areas annexed by the City of Charleston and the City of Folly Beach would be legally contiguous to the Town.

Existing annexation law could then be applied.   This would include adding individual parcels at the request of the property owner or else a petition and annexation election similar to what we did last year for Quail Run and east Lighthouse Point.

If you see Peter McCoy thank for him for his work on this issue.   Town Councilman Josh Stokes also deserves credit for his input on the bill.

Once this bill is signed into law, we can start putting together a petition drive.  It requires signatures of 25% of the registered voters in any area to be annexed.   And then we would hold an annexation election.  If the majority of the voters say yes, the area is  back in the Town.

Earlier this year, Peter introduced me to Jay Lucas, the Speaker of the House.   The Speaker told me that he was willing to help give the residents of the Town an opportunity to be reunited.   Peter thinks we have a good chance for the legislation to pass the House this year.    It will then go to the Senate early next year.    After it passes the Senate, it goes to the Governor's desk.   Hopefully, we can get to work next Summer finally reuniting the Town.