RALEIGH — Some Wake County people are concerned that higher taxes and bigger headaches would arise if Raleigh gobbles up their neighborhood.

The city wants to annex two opposite areas of the county. One area in the southeastern part of the county includes the River Knoll subdivision. The other is in the northwestern corner, including the Harrington Grove and Dominion Parks subdivisions.

The Raleigh City Council has decided to begin the process of annexing the neighborhoods. If all goes according to plan, there would be public meetings next month, and the annexation would be completed by the end of June.

Some of the 5,000 people who would be affected by the annexation are not happy. While they would receive city services, like water, sewer and garbage pick-up, they would have to pay city and county taxes.

"A major reason we could afford our house when we bought it seven years ago is because we didn't have to pay city taxes," says Harrington Grove resident Nancy Register.

As people in the county have watched Raleigh's city limits creep closer over the years, many residents are resigned to the inevitability of growth.

If the annexation passes, homeowners in the subdivision would see their property tax bill jump by nearly 70 percent. The city points out that they would also be paying less for water, sewer and other services.

The next step is a series of public meetings beginning in February.