Gov. Pat McCrory signals he’d end protest petitions

Gov. Pat McCrory on Thursday signaled his intention to sign legislation that would end the use of zoning protest petitions.

His comments came shortly before the Senate passed HB 201 by a vote of 39-10. The measure now goes back to the House, which passed a similar version. If lawmakers reconcile the differences, the bill goes to McCrory.

The measure would end the use of protest petitions. Used in North Carolina since 1923, the petitions give property owners adjacent to a proposed rezoning the right to petition their city council. They trigger a requirement that three-quarters of the council, not a simple majority, must approve the rezoning.

“I’ve always felt majority rule should be the case in all governments unless they’re veto overrides and things of that nature,” McCrory said. “I’ve always supported efforts to make it a fair vote for all involved.”

McCrory spoke to reporters after an unrelated bill-signing ceremony at his residence.

Protest petitions have been a popular tool for homeowners.

Proponents say they put homeowners on a more equal footing with developers, whose projects often affect their property values.

Critics, including the building industry, say they result in lost or delayed development by giving a few property owners an outsized voice in rezoning. And they argue that people have other ways to influence the process. Sen. Andy Wells, a Hickory Republican, said this week that the bill “in no way removes a citizen’s right to protest.”

In the end the bill won bi-partisan support in both chambers. The Senate passed it Thursday with no discussion at all.

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Gov. Pat McCrory signals he’d end protest petitions."