HB475 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Steve McMillan

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Baldwin Co., Josephine Landmark District, annexation of property in district prohibited by local law, exception, const. amend.

Summary

HB475 would define the Josephine Landmark District in Baldwin County and largely bar annexation of its property by local law, while declaring the district not to be a separate legal entity.

What This Bill Does

If passed, it creates a defined Josephine Landmark District in Baldwin County with specified geographic boundaries and exclusions. It prohibits the annexation by local law of any property within the district into any municipality, with an exception for municipalities incorporated after ratification that include any part of the district. It states the district would not be a legal entity and would have no powers such as taxation, zoning, police power, or the authority to adopt ordinances. It sets a five-year duration for the amendment unless extended by the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation, and it would be placed on the November 2020 general election ballot.

Who It Affects

• Property owners whose land lies within the defined Josephine Landmark District would be protected from annexation into municipalities by local law; some parcels are explicitly excluded from the district boundary.
• Municipalities in Baldwin County and any cities considering annexation would be restricted from annexing district land by local law, with a post-ratification exception for new municipalities that include part of the district.
• Baldwin County residents and officials would oversee the five-year sunset and the statewide election process to approve or reject the amendment.
• Owners of parcels listed by PIN numbers that are excluded from the boundary would not be part of the Josephine Landmark District.

Key Provisions

• Defines the Josephine Landmark District in Baldwin County with explicit geographic boundaries and exclusions, including a list of parcel identification numbers (PINs) that are not part of the district.
• Prohibits annexation of any property within the Josephine Landmark District into any municipality by local law, with an exception for municipalities incorporated after ratification that include any part of the district.
• Declares the Josephine Landmark District is not a legal entity and has no powers such as standing to sue or be sued, taxing authority, zoning authority, or police power, and cannot adopt ordinances or regulations.
• The amendment would terminate five years after adoption unless extended by the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation; a separate provision clarifies that any landmark district created before ratification would also not be a legal entity.
• An election to approve or reject the amendment would be held at the November 2020 general election.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Baldwin County