Proposed language in budget bill would kill Bloomington's annexation plan

The city has received notice that a proposed amendment to the state biennial budget bill would end Mayor John Hamilton's plan to annex about 9,500 acres into the city's jurisdiction. 

The city's director of communications Mary Catherine Carmichael called the language super-specific to Bloomington and that the city staff could find no other jurisdiction that would be affected by the proposed language.

"They are carving out Bloomington," Carmichael said by phone Friday.

According to the proposed amendment, which is expected to be introduced, if parcels in areas intended for annexation are unincorporated after Jan. 1, any annexation ordinance introduced after Dec. 31, 2016, and before July 1, 2017, is terminated and instructs that a municipality cannot restart the process to annex property again until after June 30, 2022.

This would kill the city's annexation proposal, which was introduced this year and if approved by the city council would take effect Jan. 1, 2020.