Opinion ID: 1682185
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The municipality's need to expand.

Text: ¶ 14. The trial court found that Brookhaven needed to expand. While the CAA does not itself want to be annexed, it is strident in its belief that Brookhaven unquestionably and rather belatedly needs to expand, and the group agrees that the City also needs additional vacant land in which to expand. CAA wishes instead for the City to prove it needs the quantity of developable land contained within the PAA. In other words, the CAA treads the thin line between admitting the City needs to expand, and wanting it to justify how much new area it actually needs. ¶ 15. The City indeed bears the burden of proving the annexation is reasonable. See Miss.Code Ann. § 21-1-33 (Rev.2001) (In any proceeding under this section the burden shall be upon the municipal authorities to show that the proposed enlargement or contraction is reasonable). ¶ 16. The need of the City to expand is conceded by the CAA's brief, supported by an ample record, and was actually admitted by CAA's expert at trial. The trial court found that Brookhaven was 79.4% built-out, or developed. Evidence was presented that Brookhaven was statistically one of the most densely populated cities of its size in Mississippi. The trial court agreed that the City is accepted as the economic engine of Lincoln County due to its ample resources for shopping, medical care, financial services, and other services. This indicium weighs in favor of annexation.