[wburg]

Annexation was one process that kept Sacramento healthy: we were originally just the downtown grid from the river to Alhambra (then 31st Street) and from the railroad tracks to Broadway (then Y Street.) Over the years we annexed the 19th century and early 20th century suburbs, the separate city of North Sacramento, and lots of surrounding former farmland.

Suburbs tend to form outside of city limits in an effort to avoid city taxes, but they end up taking from city services anyhow (because people work in the city and commute home.) Absorbing the "uncity" area makes economic sense to Sacramento in that we'd stop some of that loss. Small municipalities around a big city have an easier time engaging in practices like wilfully excluding things they'd rather not have (like low-income housing) which tends to place that burden back on the nearest big city.

Besides, it's just ridiculous to have a K-shaped city, with several "county" regions surrounded on three sides by Sacramento.