An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Annexation laws in West Virginia are relatively restrictive when compared with those of many other states. Unless a majority of residents in a given area want to be annexed to a city or village or there is some overriding reason that serves the public interest, it’s not likely to happen.
The city of Milton missed the mark in both respects regarding its recent proposal to annex a large piece of territory south and east of its current boundaries. While the initial proposal seemed ill-conceived and an overreach by the city, Mayor Tom Canterbury and the city council have done the right thing in dropping the plan this week.
The plan involved annexing property that would at least double the size of the city’s territory, taking in an area containing 450 households and adding about 1,000 residents to the city’s current population of about 2,500.
The reasons given for such a bold move, which was not sought by any groundswell of residents, have not been compelling…