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City Annexation

Last session’s monumental annexation reform should be expanded in the next session to give all Texans the right to vote on being annexed. Doing so would bring a permanent end to a tyrannical practice.

Recommendations

  • Expand existing protections to all Texans by requiring voter approval before any municipalities can annex new land.

Talking points for liberty fighters

  • America was founded on the idea that citizens cannot be deprived of their liberty without representation and due process. The injustice of “taxation Forced Annexation without representation” is not rectified by giving a citizen the right to vote after the government has already taken his or her money.
  • Citizens who prefer a smaller government and fewer central services live outside the city limits for a reason. Forcing citizens to become part of a city denies them the ability to vote with their feet.
  • Cities view annexation as a way to expand their tax base and capture additional revenue, whether or not such annexation increases efficiencies. Wealthier suburbs are thus favored for annexation, although poorer areas outside of the city limits can oftentimes benefit more from municipal annexation since these communities frequently lack sufficient services.
  • Forced annexation is unjust, no matter the size of the county in which the annexation is taking place. Like all governments, cities derive their authority from the people who formed them to secure life and liberty. No city should force annexation onto people residing outside its limits without first getting their consent.

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Research