Cary's Town Council is getting the process started for a new round of involuntary annexations.

The council recently voted to let town staffers begin studying nine different neighborhoods that might be brought in -- whether they like it or not.

For the next six months, they'll be doing studies and holding community meetings and public hearings.

If the council approves any of the annexations after New Years, the neighborhoods would become part of Cary on July 1, 2009.

It won't surprise too many people if the Jenks-Carpenter neighborhood becomes a part of Cary; many of the folks in that neighborhood say it's just a matter of time until they're paying municipal property taxes.

"It's kind of like the storm. It's coming, but I just hope it's delayed longer," said Wake County resident Jon Dietz, whose property is on Jenks-Carpenter Road. "And I really don't think that forced annexation should be allowed."

The only dissenting vote to getting the process started came from Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.

"To involuntarily annex, there has to be a strong, compelling reason," said Weinbrecht. "In my personal opinion I don't see a strong, compelling reason to start that process."

Every other council member voted for it, though.

There are several reasons that some people in Town Hall say the nine neighborhoods should come on board, considering how close they are to a lot of town resources.

"Facilities and parks and improved roadways and those kinds of things. So they sort of benefit from those improvements and that kind of infrastructure without paying or participating in the cost," said Jeff Ulma, Cary's Planning Director.

There's also the issue of proper coverage: many of the neighborhoods are little islands of Wake County, completely surrounded by Cary.

"A county sheriff would come all the way in to one of these 'donut holes' to provide service," said Ulma. "It's viewed as an inefficient way to provide services."

Ulma says the process is smoother, and less painful for property owners' pockets, since the town has already been through one round of annexations already and worked out some of the stickier problems.

North Carolina's General Assembly could throw the entire plan into a tailspin, though: the State House has passed a bill that would put a moratorium on involuntary annexations, although the State Senate has not considered it yet.

For more information about Cary's plans, click here.