Approximately 1,643 acres of land entered into the city limits of Leander on Aug. 17.
In July, Leander City Council held two public hearings for the annexation of approximately 4,937 acres of land on the city’s north and west borders, south of CR 280 and west of North Bagdad Road. The proposed annexations are involuntary, meaning the residents within the selected areas did not request to be annexed.
These citizens had property in Leander’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ, which is the unincorporated area within 3.5 miles of city limits and is subject to potential annexation by the city, according to Texas Local Government Code and city documents. Throughout the annexation process, Leander’s ETJ was 2 miles, but it increased Aug. 17 upon the declaration of the city’s population as over 50,000 by Leander City Council.
Development Agreements
After Leander entered into development agreements with several landowners and the city removed a portion of land previously slated for annexation, the area subject to immediate annexation decreased to the final 1,643 acres, according to city documents. The property annexed includes no homesteads, Leander Assistant City Manager Tom Yantis said.
By signing development agreements, landowners postponed the annexation of their property for up to 45 years, depending on the specific terms of the agreement, Yantis said.
If the property owners in development agreements change the use of their land outside of what the contract allows, the city can annex the property and enforce its zoning laws, according to city documents and Texas Local Government Code. When the agreement expires, the land either is annexed or goes back to the state it was in before the contracts were put in place, varying based on the individual agreements, Yantis said.
Regulating growth
Leander Mayor Chris Fielder said the city’s “goal through this process is actually not to annex anybody,” but to enter agreements limiting development on land surrounding the city, unless a development fits the city’s policies.
“Annexation is the key to controlling future development to where you get good standards that [do not] hurt the rest of the city,” Fielder said.
Fielder gave the example that without the city’s regulations, developers could build a meat-processing plant next to a million-dollar home.
Dr. Kathryn Kotrla—a resident with land subject to annexation—said she appreciated how the city engaged with her throughout the annexation process.
“Thank y’all for entering into a dialogue with us about this property that means as much to me really as life itself,” she said. “We hope to continue working with the city.”
What happens next
Annexed landowners will begin paying property taxes to the city in January 2019, according to city spokesperson Michael Neu. Leander’s 2016 property tax rate was $0.599 per $100 valuation, the fourth-highest city rate in Williamson County, according to county tax records.
“The taxes are levied as of Jan. 1 of each year,” City Finance Director Robert Powers said. “These annexations occurred after that, so when they get their tax bills in October they won’t have the city tax on it.”
Yantis said a portion of the land annexed is a wildlife refuge owned by Travis County and will thus not be subject to city taxes.
Annexed landowners are now subject to city ordinances and have access to city services, including animal control, code enforcementand signing up for a library card, Yantis said. Leander police and fire departments will respond when landowners call 911, rather than Williamson County personnel, he said.
Leander resident J.R. Russell said his property on CR 175 was annexed by the city this year. Russell said he uses a septic system and well, so he does not need city wastewater or water services.
“You’re not really receiving anything different, but you are getting to pay more taxes,” Russell said.
Yantis said property tax revenue from the newly annexed areas is likely to remain small until the land is developed in the future.
Rebecca Fedorko contributed to this report.
