SHOULD RESIDENTS OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS GET A VOTE? LINCOLN LAWMAKER'S BILL SAYS YES.

LINCOLN - Nebraska law allows cities and villages to regulate planning and zoning in areas just outside their boundaries through extraterritorial zoning jurisdictions, or ETJs, to ensure consistent development as communities grow. Residents in those zones must follow city building codes, permitting rules and infrastructure standards even though they cannot vote in city elections, which Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln called a form of “taxation without representation.” Ballard emphasized that while ETJs help cities plan for future expansion, residents and developers in those areas lack accountability when disputes arise over zoning or building requirements.

Ballard’s bill, LB951, would allow residents living within ETJs to vote in municipal elections, giving people up to three miles outside Lincoln and Omaha — and one mile outside smaller cities — a say in city council and mayoral races. The proposal drew support from developers and Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who argued that voters should be able to hold officials accountable when their property is regulated. Election officials cautioned the bill would require widespread redistricting, while city officials from Lincoln and Omaha pushed back, saying ETJ residents already have indirect representation and are subject to similar regulations elsewhere.

For the full article, click HERE.