ETJ Bill 949 Expires


After causing a debate here in Boone and in Raleigh as well, one bill that was designed to take away the extraterritorial jurisdiction rights from the town of Boone has expired. Senate Bill 949 was introduced by Senator Dan Soueck in May in an effort to take away Boone's extraterritorial jurisdiction rights. The bill was left to expire when The General Assembly adjourned short session on Tuesday afternoon. The bill had been through several steps in the Senate and House of Representatives since being filed on May 30th. An extraterritorial jurisdiction is the area around the town that falls under the town's zoning ordinances. The bill, which was introduced in May by Senator Dan Soucek, takes away the town of Boone's rights to regulate development along its borders, given that those are the areas most likely to be annexed some day. Several cities and towns in North Carolina have some form of extraterritorial jurisdiction. According to Senator Soucek, the town of Boone has abused the right of having the jurisdiction, saying the people affected within a 1 mile radius of Boone are controlled by town officials but don’t have representation in town government. Mayor Loretta Clawson and a number of residents oppose the legislation, saying it will pave the way for construction of high-density housing and industrial or retail development near the town.