Lexington annexation fight gets dirty
Lexington City Manager John Gray said the city would react to any legal proceedings its residents bring forth when they are officially filed.
LEXINGTON -- The fight against forced annexation is continuing in Lexington.
The City Council voted in July to annex about 2,000 new residents who live in four areas of Davidson County. Those residents are taking legal action, but the fight is turning ugly. This weekend Keith Bost hit a bump in the road in his fight against forced annexation when he found 27 of the signs he both purchased and made in protest either stolen or destroyed.
“I think it's typical of the character of these types of people that did that," said Bost.
This has happened before.
In the year that Bost has been fighting annexation in Lexington he has posted around 150 signs around the area that have all eventually been torn down but never at such a rapid rate.
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“I had permission from the people whose land it adjoined,” he said. “They were non-obtrusive," added Bost.
It's a hot issue, and while Bost has his suspects he doesn't want to press charges. He just wants the culprit or culprits to fess up.
Despite these recent acts those against annexation have teamed up with Attorney Bob Hornik out of Chapel Hill.
Hornik has previously worked with a group in Asheboro and in June the city council voted unanimously to reject the proposed annexation of the Dave's Mountain area in Randolph County.
Many of Lexington's newest resident's hope Hornik will have the same success in all four areas of Davidson County.
“While the cards are stacked in favor of the local government as far as the statutory process is set up, property owners have been successful before," said Hornik.
The residents in Lexington now have 60 days to file a petition challenging the involuntary annexation ordinance that was adopted by the city council. That will be reviewed in superior court.
Lexington City Manager John Gray said the city would react to any legal proceedings its residents bring forth when they are officially filed.
For the time being Gray added the city is focused on working to provide the city's newly-annexed residents with city services by the time the annexation takes effect in June of 2009.