2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-03501HB0247
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0247
Annexation requirements.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Styvar, Angelos, Brown, G
and Wharff and Senator(s) McKeown
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to cities and towns; requiring written
2 approval from a simple majority of all landowners owning a
3 parcel of the land in an area before that area is annexed
4 into a municipality; modifying annexation finding
5 requirements; modifying notice requirements to landowners;
6 specifying cost estimates required; specifying when an
7 annexing ordinance is void; amending the length of time to
8 appeal an annexing ordinance; repealing limits on
9 incorporation of urban areas; specifying applicability; and
10 providing for an effective date.
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13 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03502HB02471W.S. 15-1-402(a)(intro), (v), (vi), by
2 creating a new paragraph (vii) and (e) and 15-1-409(b) and
3 (c) are amended to read:
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9 (a) Before any territory is eligible for annexation,
10 the governing body of any city or town at a hearing as
11 provided in W.S. 15-1-405 shall find
12:
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14 (v) If the city or town does not own or operate
15 its own electric utility, its governing body is prepared to
16 issue one (1) or more franchises as necessary to serve the
17 annexed area pursuant to W.S. 15-1-410; and
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19 (vi) The annexing city or town, not less than
20 twenty (20) business days the public
21 hearing required by W.S. 15-1-405(a), has sent by certified
22 mail to all landowners and affected public utilities within
23 the territory and by first class mail to any persons owning 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03503HB0247
1 property that is adjacent to or within
2 feet of the territory proposed to
3 be annexed, regardless of whether the property is inside or
4 outside the corporate limits of the annexing city or town
5 and regardless of whether the city or town is exercising
6 authority under W.S. 15-3-202(b)(ii)
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9 summary of the proposed annexation
10 report as required under subsection (c) of this section;
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21 and
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03504HB02471otice of the time, date and location
2 of the public hearing required by W.S. 15-1-405(a).
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17 (e) Before any territory is eligible for annexation
18 the governing body shall prepare for each landowner and
19 affected public utility so requesting in writing, the
20 estimated cost of infrastructure improvements required of
21 the landowner and affected public utility related to the
22 annexation. The request shall be made to the clerk of the
23 annexing municipality not less than ten (10) days prior to 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03505HB0247
1 the public hearing required by W.S. 15-1-405(a). The
2 estimate shall be provided to the landowner and affected
3 public utility prior to the hearing. The actual costs for
4 the infrastructure improvements shall not exceed the
5 estimated cost provided under this subsection by more than
6 four percent (4%).
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14 (b) If the court determines that the action taken was
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20 body was proper and valid, it shall sustain the ordinance.
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23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03506HB02471
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14 (c) All proceedings to review the findings and the
15 decisions of the governing body or actions to determine the
16 validity of the annexation ordinance pursuant to the
17 Uniform Declaratory Judgments Act shall be brought within
18 days of the effective
19 date of the annexation ordinance, and if not brought within
20 that time are forever barred.
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22W.S. 15-1-411 is repealed.
23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03507HB02471. This act applies to any proposed
2 annexation initiated on or after the effective date of this
3 act.
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5. This act is effective immediately upon
6 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
7 as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
8 Constitution.
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10 (END)