A judge has denied Monroe County remonstrators more time to protest the City of Bloomington’s attempt to annex areas 1A and 1B of the county.
State law says 65 percent of residents in an area need to file valid petition signatures to void annexation in that area. Areas 1A and 1B did not meet that criteria, but they did reach the 51+ percent threshold to appeal annexation in court.
County Residents Against Annexation filed a lawsuit June 2022 requesting an extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original three-month remonstrance period ran from October 8, 2021, through January 6, 2022.
The legal filings state Indiana law (IC 34-7-6-1) outlines circumstances under which extensions of time may be granted for official proceedings.
These include, “if an emergency exists or arises by reason of war, insurrection, pestilence, or act of God which prevents the performance of an act that is essential to conserve substantial rights.”
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On Friday, Special Judge Nathan Nikirk ruled the pandemic did not “prevent the filing of remonstrance petitions,” and denied the request for a second remonstrance period.
He said the state had lifted many restrictions on public places, including mask mandates, when the remonstrance period began and referred to the more than 3,200 petitions certified in those areas.
The judge also determined it wasn’t within his authority to “alter the remonstrance window” due to Indiana code.
President of County Residents Against Annexation Margaret Clements said she thinks the people are still in the moral right.
"We're considering all legal options, and we expect this to be a long legal process. And that this is just one portion of phase one of the legal review," she said.
In his ruling, Nikirk states parties can't wait until a deadline passes and then claim an emergency should extend the expired time limit.
In a press release, Mayor John Hamilton states, “The city is pleased and looks forward to the next step of orderly, lawful annexation.”
The city is also challenging the constitutionality of a state law in a separate lawsuit that interfered with annexation attempts in 2019.
Clements said this is just one aspect of their litigation.
"We're still in the process of the right for judicial review that 1A and 1B have earned."
This story has been updated.
02-24-2023 Order Issued Remonstration Pandemic Case by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
