A new lineup of politicians, buoyed by angry residents, called for a slowdown in land grabs in recent years.

But a decision made last week indicates that the town may still not be finished with expanding its borders.

The Town Council renewed a map and resolution Thursday that identifies unincorporated areas of Wake County that the town might consider annexing in the future.

Council members said adopting the resolution was a good move for transparency and long-term planning. Some worried re-adopting the state-requested "resolution of consideration" would send a premature message to residents that the town intends to annex their property involuntarily.

"I don't think there's an easy way to do this," Councilman Jack Smith said. "There's still an issue from history in a lot of areas where folks feel trust has been broken."

The resolution passed 4-3. Councilmen Smith, Don Frantz and Harold Weinbrecht voted against the map.

"While I do hear some of the value that folks are made aware and have a good understanding of what might come down in the future, I want to make it as difficult as possible for us to annex these properties," Frantz said.

The state legislature requires towns to have an annexation plan that shows predictable expansion. Cary adopted an annexation plan in 2006. The plan and map were renewed in 2008.

In North Carolina, municipalities can annex property owners against their will under certain circumstances. The action has caused decades of mistrust. Much of the rancor started in Cary.

The town annexed thousands of residents in the nineties and early 2000s.

In 2003, Cathy Heath, whose Medfield-Kingsbrooke Estates neighborhood is on Cary's annexation agenda, created a Web site - stopncannexation.com - and linked groups fighting annexation across the state.

That same year, Cary leaders abandoned the annexation of about 4,700 residents southeast of the town.

In early 2009, the council voted to abandon involuntary annexations for 10 areas, around 190 homes, a move that delighted hundreds who gathered at meetings to protest the annexation plan.

Officials at Thursday's meeting said 98 percent of town annexations were voluntary.

In such cases, property owners, particularly developers, ask to be included in a city. Those annexations are often a way for owners to get connected to water and sewer service.

Involuntary annexations often take place around "donut holes" of land where the town might better connect utility service and offer emergency services.

But critics said annexation is just a means for municipalities to expand their tax base.