What broad powers do municipalities have regarding cemeteries?

• A. Expropriating cemetery land and transferring cemetery property
• B. Expropriating only and not purchasing or expanding
• C. Expropriating, purchasing, acquiring land, expanding, and transferring cemetery property
• D. Regulating burial fees and pricing only.

Answer: (C)

Municipalities have broad authority to plan and manage cemetery land to serve the community’s needs. This includes obtaining land for cemeteries through purchase or expropriation, acquiring additional land to expand existing cemeteries, and transferring cemetery property as part of governance or management changes. These powers ensure there is enough cemetery capacity and that property can be appropriately organized and used for public purposes.

The option that lists expropriating, purchasing, acquiring land, expanding, and transferring cemetery property best reflects these broad authorities, covering the full range of actions a municipality may take to develop and administer cemetery lands. Limiting the scope to regulation of burial fees or to expropriation only would miss important aspects of their power to acquire, expand, and transfer property.