Reply #46: Its not like a property owner can sign a contract, and boom, they are annexed by a city...

[Solon]

We don't even know how this particular family voted, in regards to annexation, so people should cool it before they make accusations.

In my area, in order for me to be annexed by a nearby city, a few conditions have to be met:

First, the ballot measure would have to be approved by the county council in order to be put on the ballot at all in the neighborhood that wants to be annexed. In addition, the city doing the annexing either has to approve it through either referendum or through their alderman. This is assuming the unincorporated neighborhood wants it on the ballot, if the city tries to annex a neighborhood, then the neighborhood has to approve it through a referendum.

One other thing, before ANY of this can happen, the neighborhood that will get annexed MUST border the city, so that, after annexation, the city borders are still contiguous.