Opinion ID: 2639045
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: contiguous with or adjacent to

Text: [¶ 18] Annexation is a legislative function that has been delegated to the municipality. In exercising the power of annexation, the municipality is bound by the statutes conferring the power. Scarlett v. Town Council, Town of Jackson, Teton County, 463 P.2d 26, 30 (Wyo.1969). In turn, when called upon to review a municipal annexation ordinance, the courts are limited to determining whether the municipality complied with the statutes and whether the annexation was reasonable. 56 Am.Jur.2d Municipal Corporations §§ 47-48 (2000). Specifically, judicial review may be required where the legislative discretion pertaining to annexable areas has not been fully or clearly expressed, or where legislative directions or mandates require clarification, interpretation or definition. McQuillin Mun. Corp. § 7.18 (3d ed.1996) (footnote omitted). [¶ 19] Wyoming's annexation statutes are found at Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-1-401, et seq. (LexisNexis 2003). The specific issue of the present case results from the requirement of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-1-402(a)(iv) that, to be eligible for annexation, land must be contiguous with or adjacent to the annexing municipality. The question is whether non-contiguous land lying near a municipality may be annexed. [¶ 20] Our standard rules of statutory construction require us first to seek the legislature's intent by looking to the common meaning of the words used in the statute. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.1999) contains the following definitions, in relevant part, at page 250 and page 14, respectively: contiguous ... 1: being in actual contact: touching along a boundary or at a point... adjacent ... 1 a: not distant: nearby ... b: having a common endpoint or border... syn adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, juxtaposed mean being in close proximity. Adjacent may or may not imply contact but always implies absence of anything of the same kind in between adjacent garage> .... Contiguous implies having contact on all or most of one side contiguous states>. (Some emphasis added.) Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1993) contains similar definitions at pages 492 and 26, respectively: contiguous ... 1 a (1): touching along boundaries often for considerable distances... b: next or adjoining with nothing similar intervening ... c: nearby, close: not distant ... d: continuous, unbroken, uninterrupted: touching or connected throughout... 2 a: immediately preceding or following in time or sequence: without intervening interval or item ... b: near in time or sequence syn see adjacent adjacent ... 1 a: not distant or far off...: nearby but not touching ... b: relatively near and having nothing of the same kind intervening: having a common border: abutting, touching: living nearby or sitting or standing relatively near or close together ... c: immediately preceding or following with nothing of the same kind intervening ... syn adjoining, abutting, contiguous, conterminous, coterminous, juxtaposed: adjacent is sometimes merely a synonym for near or close to ... Applied to things of the same type, it indicates either side-by-side proximity or lack of anything of the same nature intervening ... Contiguous shows variable usage but is likely to suggest touching along a dividing line; it may indicate an unbroken continuity ... [¶ 21] The controversy in this case, although spawning hundreds of pages of legal argument, is simple. The County and the Cottons contend that the legislature would not have used the word contiguous, meaning touching, if annexable land only had to be nearby. The City responds that the legislature would not have used the word adjacent, meaning nearby, if annexable land had to be touching. We will begin our resolution of the matter with the observation that use of these particular two words in this particular context, without defining either word, renders the statute ambiguous, thereby requiring interpretation. [¶ 22] This issue is not unique to Wyoming, inasmuch as many states have the same language in their annexation statutes. See McQuillin Mun. Corp., supra, § 7.20; 56 Am.Jur.2d, supra, §§ 51-52; and Erwin S. Barbre, Annotation, What Land is Contiguous or Adjacent to Municipality So As To Be Subject to Annexation, 49 A.L.R.3d 589 (1973). While there is not unanimity in defining these terms, there does seem to be a general rule as to their interpretation: In many jurisdictions, territory to be annexed must be contiguous or adjacent to the annexing municipality. As used in this context, the words contiguous and adjacent are considered to be synonymous. In the absence of statutory definition of these terms, it seems to be agreed that at a minimum the terms require that the boundaries of the annexing municipality and the territory must touch, with some courts indicating that there must be substantial physical contact between the municipality and the territory. It should be noted, however, that many courts have recognized, either expressly or by implication, that the meaning of these terms, as used in the annexation statutes, is flexible and may vary from case to case. And, of course, these judicially manufactured definitions are subject to change by annexation statutes which attempt to define the terms contiguous and adjacent. Barbre, supra, 49 A.L.R.3d 589, 593-94, § 2[a] (footnotes omitted). [¶ 23] As we will explain further, we conclude that, by limiting annexation to lands that are either contiguous or adjacent, the legislature intended to limit annexation to lands sharing a common boundary with the municipality or touching at some point, with the exception of lands that are separated from the municipality only by those natural or artificial barriers listed in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-1-402(b). [7] This conclusion is consistent with what appears to be the majority rule, it is consistent with what this Court said in In re West Laramie, 457 P.2d 498, 501 (Wyo.1969) ([u]nder our statute the only requirement with respect to the scope and extent of the area to be annexed is that it must be contiguous to the annexing city or town), it is consistent with the opinion of the Attorney General of the State of Wyoming, and it is consistent with reason and good sense. [8] [¶ 24] In one sense, both sides in this controversy are correct; the legislature would not have needed both termscontiguous with and adjacent toif the terms were meant to be precisely synonymous. Likewise, the legislature would not have used both terms in the alternative if they were meant to define mutually exclusive situations. [9] The most likely intent of the legislature was that the terms were to be given their common meaning; that is, the lands to be annexed must geographically touch the municipality to some extent, with the contiguity requirement being satisfied by the slighter touching contemplated by the word adjacent. [¶ 25] If the City's interpretation of the statutethat lands need only be nearbyis correct, there would be no reason for the exceptions that are spelled out in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-1-402(b). If nearby lands that do not touch the municipal boundaries may be annexed, there is no reason specially to permit annexation of lands separated from the municipality by roads, rivers, and the like. In interpreting statutes, we are to read related laws together and we are to give effect to all the words used. In re Estate of Seader, 2003 WY 119, ¶ 23, 76 P.3d 1236, 1243-44 (Wyo.2003) ( quoting Worcester v. State, 2001 WY 82, ¶ 13, 30 P.3d 47, 52 (Wyo.2001)). [¶ 26] We also note that the common dictionary definitions of both contiguous and adjacent incorporate the concept of there being nothing similar intervening. For example, buildings are neither contiguous with nor adjacent to one another if there is another building between them. Similarly, land is neither contiguous with nor adjacent to a municipality where the land is separated from the municipal boundaries by anything other than a road, river, or the like. [¶ 27] We interpret statutes in their context; that is, with consideration given to other statutes in pari materia and in the light of their object, purpose and public policy. Petra Energy, Inc. v. Department of Revenue, State of Wyo., 6 P.3d 1267, 1270 (Wyo.2000); Wyoming Ins. Guar. Ass'n v. Woods, 888 P.2d 192, 197 (Wyo.1994). We ascribe to statutes a reasonable intent. Attletweedt v. State, 684 P.2d 812, 814 (Wyo. 1984); In re Romer, 436 P.2d 956, 958 (Wyo. 1968). Application of these principles to Wyoming's annexation statutes leads us to the conclusion that the pervasive tone or tenor of the statutes is strictly to limit the ability of municipalities to annex territory. The statutes prescribe a carefully delineated annexation process, limited by numerous mandated findings. [10] The most reasonable interpretation of the words contiguous with or adjacent to in this context is that the legislature intended to limit annexation to lands touching a municipality's boundaries. There is no suggestion in the entire statutory scheme that the legislature intended to vest municipalities with the discretion to determine what land is adjacentmeaning nearbyon a case-by-case basis. The result of such an interpretation could be crazy quilt or leap frog annexation that would run counter to the concerns expressed in the statutory mandates. [¶ 28] The courts in the following cases have all held that, in the annexation context, the words contiguous and adjacent are synonymous and require that the boundaries of the municipality and the annexed land must touch, or, at least, must not be separated by anything of like kind: Hillman v. City of Pocatello, 74 Idaho 69, 71, 256 P.2d 1072, 1073 (1953), criticized on other grounds by Alexander v. Trustees of Village of Middleton, 92 Idaho 823, 452 P.2d 50, 52-54 (1969) (common meaning of both words is conterminous or abutting and use of adjacent does not contemplate annexation of non-contiguous areas); Ridings v. City of Owensboro, 383 S.W.2d 510, 511 (Ky.1964) (requirement of contiguity is inherent in annexation statutes because of concept of a city being a geographical unit); City of St. Ann v. Spanos, 490 S.W.2d 653, 656 (Mo.App.1973) (in defining adjacent, the word nearby must be qualified by the concept of having nothing of the same kind intervening); Johnson v. City of Hastings, 241 Neb. 291, 488 N.W.2d 20, 23-24 (1992) (contiguous and adjacent both require substantially contiguous boundaries); Hawks v. Town of Valdese, 299 N.C. 1, 261 S.E.2d 90, 97 (1980) (adjacent means contiguous or abutting); City of Middletown v. McGee, 39 Ohio St.3d 284, 530 N.E.2d 902, 905 (1988) (contiguous, adjacent, and adjoining are synonymous and all require contiguity to a degree beyond that created by strip or corridor annexation); City of Ada v. Whitaker, 1949 OK 266, 202 Okla. 249, 212 P.2d 482, 483-84 (1949) (adjacent to is synonymous with abutting on and requires that there be nothing of the same kind between); In re Sadler, 142 Pa. 511, 21 A. 978, 979 (1891) (adjacency of a tract of land is satisfied if one of the lots of the tract is contiguous with the municipality's boundary); St. Andrews Public Service Dist. v. City Council of Charleston, 339 S.C. 320, 529 S.E.2d 64, 66 (2000), rev'd on other grounds, 349 S.C. 602, 564 S.E.2d 647 (2002) (contiguous, adjacent, and adjoining are synonymous and ordinarily mean touching, but such is not required where the areas are incidentally separated by a road, railway or waterway); City of Pasadena v. State ex rel. City of Houston, 442 S.W.2d 325, 328 (Tex.1969) (question of adjacency is a question of law; adjacent means contiguous and in the neighborhood of or in the vicinity, so it cannot be satisfied by a strip annexation); Town of Lake v. City of Milwaukee, 255 Wis. 419, 39 N.W.2d 376, 378 (1949) (contiguous and adjacent are synonymous). [¶ 29] In Barbre, supra, 49 A.L.R.3d at 603, a specific study of the words contiguous and adjacent in the annexation context, the author states that [i]n none of the cases within the scope of this annotation, in the absence of a statutory definition to the contrary, has a court specifically said that the borders of the territory and the municipality do not have to touch at all. The City contends, to the contrary, that several courts have found adjacent to mean only nearby and have not required geographical touching. A review of the cases cited by the City generally reveals, however, a different context, a holding not precisely on point, or even support for the proposition that contiguous and adjacent are synonymous: San Dieguito Partnership v. City of San Diego, 7 Cal. App.4th 748, 9 Cal.Rptr.2d 440, 445-46 (1992) (adjacent means nearby, not touching, in a subdivision statute allowing an exemption for lot line adjustments); Anderson Union High Sch. Dist. v. Schreder, 56 Cal.App.3d 453, 128 Cal.Rptr. 529, 534-35 (1976) (school districts not contiguous to forest preserve were adjacent to the reserve for purpose of certain specialized funding); Belmont Fire Protection Dist. v. Village of Downers Grove, 92 Ill.App.3d 682, 48 Ill.Dec. 261, 416 N.E.2d 292, 295 (1981) (to be eligible for annexation, territory must touch or adjoin the municipality in a reasonably substantial physical sense); In re Annexation to the Village of Wadsworth, 65 Ill.2d 148, 2 Ill.Dec. 337, 357 N.E.2d 504, 505-06 (1976) (village could not avoid statutory mandate that adjacent highways be annexed by leaving a ten-foot buffer strip); City of Hutchinson v. Danley, 88 Kan. 437, 129 P. 163, 164 (1913) (as used in statute governing vacation of town sites, reversion of public areas to adjacent landowners not affected by intervening street or alley); Board of Education of City of Ottawa v. Jacobus, 83 Kan. 778, 112 P. 612, 613 (1911) (definition of adjacent in statute depends upon context and purpose; adjacent means nearby, not necessarily touching in statute allowing city to attach adjacent territory for school purposes); State v. Kansas City, 50 Kan. 508, 31 P. 1100, 1103 (1893) (statute authorizing consolidation of cities requires adjacency, defined as not more than three-fourths of a mile apart); Grudnosky v. Bislow, 251 Minn. 496, 88 N.W.2d 847, 851-52 (1958) (in statute allowing higher salaries for officials in fourth-class cities adjacent to first-class cities, adjacency did not require geographical contiguity, but a community of interest); McLemore v. Yocona Tallahatchie Drainage Dist. No. 1, 129 Miss. 97, 91 So. 390, 391 (1922) (in statute authorizing enlargement of boundaries of drainage district to adjoining or adjacent lands, land to be added need not be geographically contiguous, just lying close by); City of West Fargo v. City of Fargo, 251 N.W.2d 918, 920 (N.D. 1977) (in case involving annexation contest between two cities, court comments that tract could not have been annexed to city to which it was not adjacent, but that the two later became contiguous); City of Lawrenceburg v. Maryland Cas. Co., 16 Tenn.App. 238, 64 S.W.2d 69, 71 (1933) (in insurance dispute, adjacent found not to import physical contact unless preceded by a modifier such as immediately); City of Waco v. City of McGregor, 523 S.W.2d 649, 653 (Tex.1975) (adjacent usually means close by and not necessarily touching, but statute defined it in this instance to mean that territory within the exclusive extraterritorial jurisdiction of one municipality is not, as a matter of law, adjacent to any other municipality). [¶ 30] We agree not only with the result in the cases finding adjacent and contiguous to be synonymous in the annexation context, but with their reasoning as well. The public policy behind geographically limited municipal annexation was well stated in Hawks, 261 S.E.2d at 97: Contiguity has always been viewed as synonymous with the legal as well as the popular idea of a municipal corporation in this country, which is one of oneness, community, locality, vicinity; a collective body, not several bodies; a collective body of inhabitantsthat is, a body of people collected or gathered together in one mass, not separated into distinct masses, and having a community of interest because residents of the same place, not different places. So, as to territorial extent, the idea of a city is one of unity, not of plurality, of compactness or contiguity, not separation or segregation. 56 Am.Jur.2d, Municipal Corporations § 69, quoting City of Denver v. Coulehan, 20 Colo. 471, 39 P. 425 (1894). Contiguity, then, is an essential component of the traditional concept of a municipal corporation, which is envisioned as a governmental unit capable of providing essential governmental services to residents within compact borders on a scale adequate to insure the protection of health, safety and welfare in areas being intensively used for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and government purposes or in areas undergoing such development. G.S. 160A-33(2). The element of contiguity helps to preserve the economic and political viability of municipal government. The costly package of services provided by municipal government can be economically maintained only within the compact boundaries fostered by the contiguity requirement. Conversely, the requirement of contiguity discourages prohibitively expensive extension of municipal services to noncontiguous areas where municipal services cannot be economically supplied. Moreover, it goes without saying that, from a political standpoint, a compact, contiguous area is more easily governed than one split into diverse, noncontiguous enclaves. Vicinity engenders a unified sense of community identity which facilitates the formation of the consensus essential to effective government. See generally, City of Denver v. Coulehan, supra. [¶ 31] The function of this Court in reviewing statutes is not, of course, to determine public policy. Rather, our function is to interpret statutes so as to identify reasonable legislative intent. Application of that principle to a review of Wyoming's municipal annexation statutes, where the authority granted to municipalities is strictly limited, leads to the conclusion that the phrase contiguous with or adjacent to in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-1-402(a)(iv) was legislatively intended to require that the boundaries of the municipality and the land proposed for annexation must touch to some substantial degree, although there need not necessarily be a lengthy shared border. [11]