Opinion ID: 894940
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Annexation Law

Text: The Texas Constitution confers on cities the power to annex land. TEX. CONST. art. XI, § 5. The Legislature prescribes procedures to be used by cities in conducting annexations. See TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE ch. 43; [1] Alexander Oil Co. v. City of Seguin, 825 S.W.2d 434, 439 (Tex.1991). Statutory annexation procedures require municipalities to prepare annexation plans specifically identifying areas which may be annexed beginning on the third anniversary of the date the plan is adopted or amended (a three-year plan). See TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE § 43.052(c). Subchapter 43C sets out annexation procedures for areas included in such three-year plans. See id. §§ 43.051-.057. Section 43.052(h) lists several types of exemptions from three-year plans. One type of area exempted is a sparsely-populated area. Id. § 43.052(h)( l ). If an area is exempt from inclusion in a three-year plan, annexation occurs according to procedures set out in subchapter 43C-1. See id. § 43.061 (This subchapter applies to an area proposed for annexation that is not required to be included in a municipal annexation plan under Section 43.052.). Annexations of section 43.052(h)( l ) sparsely-populated areas may be initiated subject to 30 days' notice of the first hearing on the proposed annexation. Id. § 43.062(b). Annexations under subchapter 43C-1 procedures generally must be completed within ninety days of the time proceedings are begun. Id. § 43.064. Cities are prohibited from using the section 43.052(h)(1) sparsely populated exemption to circumvent requirements that annexations be pursuant to a three-year plan. Id. § 43.052(i). The controversy before us primarily involves subsections 43.052(c), (h), and (i) which in pertinent part provide as follows: (c) A municipality shall prepare an annexation plan that specifically identifies annexations that may occur beginning on the third anniversary of the date the annexation plan is adopted. The municipality may amend the plan to specifically identify annexations that may occur beginning on the third anniversary of the date the plan is amended. . . . . (h) This section [43.052] does not apply to an area proposed for annexation if: (1) the area contains fewer than 100 separate tracts of land on which one or more residential dwellings are located on each tract. . . . (i) A municipality may not circumvent the requirements of this section by proposing to separately annex two or more areas described by Subsection (h)(1) if no reason exists under generally accepted municipal planning principles and practices for separately annexing the areas. If a municipality proposes to separately annex areas in violation of this section, a person residing or owning land in the area may petition the municipality to include the area in the municipality's annexation plan. If the municipality fails to take action on the petition, the petitioner may request arbitration of the dispute. The petitioner must request the appointment of an arbitrator in writing to the municipality. Sections 43.0564(b), (c), and (e) apply to the appointment of an arbitrator and the conduct of an arbitration proceeding under this subsection.