By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Proposition S will be on April ballot...and if approved, would allow county government to intervene in land annexation.
St. Charles County Councilman and Proposition S supporter Joe Brazil says many cities add subdivisions far away from city limits by annexing a road or a small strip of land to connect the two. He calls that shoe-stringing -- and says that's illegal.
"If you saw the maps of St. Charles County, it looks someone threw a bunch of mud on the wall on certain cities," Brazil said. "There's just spots; there's areas that aren't even touching the city."
Brazil says shoe-stringing also costs more because, for example, snow trucks might have to drive an extra mile just to plow one subdivision. Opponents counter by saying the measure would stifle growth.