Annexation’s Role in City Growth

From Community Impact April 11, 2008...

The populations of Georgetown, Hutto and Taylor continue to increase, causing city officials routinely to evaluate the size of their cities land-wise. But acquiring more land is not as easy as it was in the 1800s, when pioneers raced to claim their new property by simply driving a stake into the ground.

When cities today want to expand their limits, city staff must engage in the process of annexation.

“The basic reasons cities annex are to control or regulate development, and the second reason, which is arguably the most important reason, is to expand the city’s tax base,” said Scott Houston, legal department director at the Texas Municipal League.

Read more...