§ 160A-58.2. Public hearing.

§ 160A‑58.2. Public hearing.

Upon receipt of a petition for annexation under this Part, the citycouncil shall cause the city clerk to investigate the petition, and to certifythe results of his investigation. If the clerk certifies that upon investigationthe petition appears to be valid, the council shall fix a date for a publichearing on the annexation. Notice of the hearing shall be published once atleast 10  days before the date of hearing.

At the hearing, any person residing in or owning property in the areaproposed for annexation and any resident of the annexing city may appear and beheard on the questions of the sufficiency of the petition and the desirabilityof the annexation. If the council then finds and determines that (i) the areadescribed in the petition meets all of the standards set out in G.S. 160A‑58.1(b),(ii) the petition bears the signatures of all of the owners of real propertywithin the area proposed for annexation (except those not required to sign byG.S. 160A‑58.1(a)), (iii) the petition is otherwise valid, and (iv) thepublic health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the city and of thearea proposed for annexation will be best served by the annexation, the councilmay adopt an ordinance annexing the area described in the petition. Theordinance may be made effective immediately or on any specified date within sixmonths from the date of passage. (1973, c. 1173, s. 2.)