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Decision on annexation case in judge's hands
By Times Staff Writer
Published May 28, 2005
INVERNESS - It took a little more than a year, but on Friday the case of Crystal River's controversial annexation concluded.
Now, all that's left is for Senior Circuit Judge Richard Weinberg to issue a ruling. It could come as early as next week. During the two-day hearing, opponents of the annexation challenged its legality. They charged that the City Council did not follow state annexation law when it decided in April 2004 to annex 520 acres south of the city limits.
They also argued that the council violated the voting rights of two property owners and illegally excluded the county and the public from voicing their objections to a portion of the city's annexation ordinance. The amendment was a "severability" clause that allowed the annexation to be preserved even if a court later determined that Rodger and Renee McPheeters were illegally denied their right to vote in a referendum.
City Attorney David La Croix vehemently denied their charges, arguing that he, the council and the city's staff and went to great lengths to ensure that the annexation complied with state laws and gave adequate time for opponents to voice their objections.
[Last modified May 28, 2005, 00:08:13]
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