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Senate approves annexation bill requiring owner consent for adjoining properties
Summary
The Utah Senate approved House Bill 166, with amendments deleting a reference to section 4-18, to clarify that properties within a half-mile of a city cannot be annexed without owner consent; the measure passed by roll call and will be sent back to the House.
The Utah Senate on March 1 approved House Bill 166, a measure that changes how annexation near city boundaries works by making it clear that properties cannot be brought into a city without the property owner’s consent.
Representatives of the bill said the measure deletes references to section 4-18 of the code and cleans up the bill's long title. Representative Smith was listed as sponsor for the House and Senator Blackham handled the bill on the Senate floor, presenting a package of amendments that the body adopted.
Senator Blackham (floor sponsor) described the core of the bill as protecting property owners in the half-mile area outside city boundaries. “The bill now will make it very clear that these properties cannot be brought into the city without their approval,” a sponsor said during floor remarks.
Senators asked procedural and substantive questions about how the bill affects development and negotiations between developers and cities; the sponsor answered that if a developer seeks significant new development and an agreement with the city cannot be reached, the developer may proceed outside city limits. The Senate adopted the amendments and, under suspension of the rules, read the bill for second and third time for final passage.
A roll-call vote produced 28 aye votes, no nay votes, and one senator absent. The clerk announced the bill will be returned to the House for further consideration.
The bill’s sponsors said other questions remain for interim study, and the Senate noted there are unresolved items that could be the subject of legislative intent language or future committee work.
