South Carolina's weak annexation laws have allowed small unincorporated areas to remain so, even while completely surrounded for years by a municipality. Legislation to address the problem of so-called "doughnut holes" should be approved by the General Assembly this year.

The bill, submitted by Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, would allow municipalities to take in by ordinance "doughnut holes" of less than 50 acres and with fewer than 25 adult residents. The proposal has been endorsed by the S.C. Municipal Association.

Mount Pleasant is among the towns with numerous unincorporated spots within its corporate limits. Mayor Harry Hallman observes that those "doughnut holes" are surrounded by residential neighborhoods and logically should be receiving the same municipal services, such as police and fire protection.

Town Administrator Mac Burdette tells us the bill, which the town supports, is fairly limited in its scope. Only about 15 properties in his town would be affected, he said.

Unincorporated areas may enjoy the benefits of municipal infrastructure, such as city streets and street lighting, without having to share in their expense.

The existence of doughnut holes can create jurisdictional questions on matters of public safety. If there's a fire or a crime within a town's corporate limits, there shouldn't be any debate over who should respond. In addition, their existence can allow for uses that are inappropriate to the surrounding neighborhood.

The bill is sufficiently limited in scope to pose little, if any, threat to public service districts, which provide a number of urban services to some unincorporated areas in the state. They have little reason to oppose it.

Sen. Ritchie's proposal recognizes that "doughnut holes" are virtually impossible to annex under existing provisions. The Legislature should approve his plan to solve this government service headache.