At last Tuesday's Seaford City Council meeting, the board decided they wanted to bypass the referendum process of annexing land into the city, preferring to be the ones with sole discretion whether or not a developer's property comes into the city's jurisdiction. The council has done it by a change in the town charter that has to be approved by the state legislature and the Governor, who have enough on their plates to think about this session, and aren't likely to do anything but rubber stamp the issue.

On one hand you have the rights of the property owners having the ability to do whatever they wish with their property be overruled by a referendum vote, on the other hand you have a government removing the right to vote from their constituents, granting itself power.

The back story, which they deny, is that two failed annexation attempts have upset the city. Both were because of HAPPEN, an organization of local citizens which would be affected, created the group just to stop these annexations in their neighborhood.

IMO, they live on Hearn's Pond, and they don't want a cookie cutter development next door spoiling their equity.

So you also have the rights of neighboring property owners saying their home values will be negatively affected by the development.

The city went on record that it was a cost savings measure, to the tune of $1,000 per referendum. Pretty lame cover up excuse if you ask me.

My thinking is that it is a pure power grab.