AUSTIN, TX – Earlier today, the San Antonio City Council considered to a proposal to expand its already aggressive annexation efforts to include an additional six areas in unincorporated Bexar County that would add as much as 87 square miles and more than 52,000 Texans. This large-scale proposal comes in addition to an existing annexation plan that would see 66 square miles and an estimated 200,000 Texans added to the city without consent.
“There are certain convictions that Texans hold dear, like the right to self-governance, free association, and private property,” said TPPF Center for Local Governance Director James Quintero. “Unfortunately, those fundamental beliefs are under assault in the Lone Star State as a result of forced annexation policies employed by cities.
“Forced annexation policies allow cities, like San Antonio, to impose their taxes, debts, and big government structures on people against their will. San Antonio’s latest land grab scheme is yet another illustration of the need for legislative reform to ensure the protection of Texans’ rights to life, liberty, and property.”
On Thursday, the Texas Public Policy Foundation will host a policy primer examining municipal annexation polices and the need for reform. To view a new TPPF study on forced annexation, please click here.
For more information or to request an interview with Mr. Quintero, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
James Quintero is director of the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.