Jefferson County Mayors Push Back on State Annexation Amendment

HB 2818 sparks concern among local leaders who say it could limit growth, development, and local control

By The Jefferson Review

A Missouri bill originally focused on annexation issues elsewhere in the state has drawn growing concern from Jefferson County’s municipal leaders after lawmakers added language that applies specifically to Jefferson County cities.

House Bill 2818, which has passed the Missouri General Assembly and awaits action from Governor Mike Kehoe, includes an amendment that changes how cities in Jefferson County may annex property.

Under the amendment, a proposed annexation area must share at least 25 percent of its perimeter with the annexing city. The legislation also prevents a city from annexing an unincorporated area that is contiguous to another unincorporated area annexed by that same city within the previous 24 months.

Supporters argue the provision is intended to limit serial annexation and create clearer boundaries for municipal growth. However, local leaders across Jefferson County say the amendment could have significant unintended consequences.

Crystal City Mayor Mike Osher said the proposal would make it more difficult for cities to pursue strategic growth and economic development projects.

Osher said the bill would limit the city’s ability to move forward with multiple annexations in a short period of time, even when those annexations are tied to major development opportunities.

He pointed to the recent James Hardie manufacturing project as an example of the type of development that could have been jeopardized under the proposed restrictions.

“One of the main ones is it would have stifled the growth of the Hardie plant,” Osher said. “I had to annex multiple properties for that to even be viable for that factory to come into Crystal City. With this new law, they would’ve passed right over us because it wouldn’t have been feasible.”

The mayor said the concern extends beyond major industrial projects. He believes the amendment could also impact individual property owners who voluntarily seek annexation into a municipality.

According to Osher, the legislation does not appear to distinguish between voluntary and involuntary annexations.

“How I read that bill is it doesn’t differentiate,” he said. “If I had a citizen say, ‘Hey, I want to annex in,’ and then I had someone come in twelve months later or sixteen months later, I’d have to say, ‘Nope, sorry, can’t help you.’ That’s an issue for me.”

That concern has led some local officials to argue the amendment may actually reduce property owner choice rather than protect it.

Another source of frustration among municipal leaders is how the amendment came to be included in the legislation.

HB 2818 was originally centered on annexation issues affecting St. Joseph and other parts of the state. Local leaders say the Jefferson County language appeared late in the legislative process without input from the municipalities most affected.

Osher said no Jefferson County mayor or city administrator present at a recent meeting of local leaders had been contacted before the amendment was added.

“I know for a fact no mayor was reached out to,” Osher said. “No city administrator that was at our meeting today was contacted about adding this language to that bill.”

He added that county officials also appeared unaware of the amendment until after it surfaced.

In response, Jefferson County mayors, city administrators, and county officials have begun working together to oppose the language.

According to Osher, local leaders have drafted a joint letter to Governor Kehoe explaining how the amendment could affect their communities and requesting that he veto the provision.

Osher said the mayors are also working to set up a meeting in Jefferson City with the governor or members of his administration within the next two weeks.

Mayor Bill Moritz of Arnold raised the issue publicly during a recent Jefferson County Council meeting, noting discussions about whether the governor may have options to remove the amendment while allowing the remainder of the bill to become law.

For Crystal City, the issue is especially significant because future growth opportunities are already limited by geography.

The city is bordered by Herculaneum to the north, Festus to the west, and the Mississippi River to the east. That leaves relatively few options for expansion.

“My only option is to annex south,” Osher said. “Crystal City has to grow. The growth with James Hardie going south of town, our growth is going to move south, and we need to facilitate that. This bill is going to prevent that.”

Osher also framed the issue as one of local control.

“I think we lose local control,” he said. “Our local government impacts our citizens’ lives the most. Now you’re taking away where I can impact their lives for the best.”

Despite concerns about the amendment, Osher emphasized that Jefferson County’s municipal leaders are approaching the issue together rather than as competing cities.

“All of the mayors and city admins are working together on this,” he said. “We don’t like surprise bills. Communication is key.”

Osher said the cooperation among local governments has grown stronger over the past year, with mayors and city administrators meeting regularly and working together on issues that affect Jefferson County as a whole.

As Governor Kehoe considers HB 2818, the debate has become about more than annexation boundaries. For many local leaders, it has become a broader discussion about who should determine how Jefferson County grows in the future: local communities or state lawmakers in Jefferson City.

The governor’s decision could shape not only future annexations, but also the ability of Jefferson County cities to pursue economic development opportunities, respond to willing property owners, and plan for long-term growth.