It is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination that:
1. Sound urban development is essential to the continued economic development of this State.
2. Municipalities are created to provide the governmental services essential for sound urban development and for the protection of health, safety and welfare in areas being used for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental purposes, or in areas undergoing such development.
3. Municipal boundaries should be extended, in accordance with legislative standards, to include such areas and to provide the high quality of governmental services needed therein for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare.
4. Areas annexed to municipalities in accordance with such uniform legislative standards should receive the services provided by the annexing municipality as soon as possible following the annexation.
5. Areas annexed to municipalities should include all of the urbanized unincorporated areas adjacent to municipalities, and piecemeal annexation of unincorporated areas should be avoided, securing to residents within the area proposed to be annexed the right of protest.