Beyond the City Limits: Extraterritorial Municipal Powers

Abstract

Giving cities extraterritorial jurisdiction has become common as a solution to the problems of metropolitan areas that have little regard for artificially drawn city boundaries. Most states now authorize some sort of regulation by cities beyond their boundaries, ranging from subdivision approval to exercise of all municipal police powers. Although extraterritorial regulation authority is most often granted to effect city policies and prevent problems for the city likely to annex the affected land, it can also be supported as an efficient way for a state to see that local areas have zoning and other protections when necessary, accompanied by effective enforcement and administration.