Annexation & ETJ

What is Annexation?

Annexation is the process of bringing property into the City limits. It is one of the primary means by which cities grow. Cities annex territory to provide urbanizing areas with municipal services and to exercise regulatory authority necessary to protect public health and safety. Annexation is also a means of ensuring that current and future residents and businesses outside a city's corporate limits who benefit from access to the city's facilities and services share the tax burden associated with constructing and maintaining those facilities and services. Annexation is also a primary means by which cities benefit from development occurring in the ETJ or Extraterritorial Jurisdiction. This is especially critical in cases where the city has either directly or indirectly facilitated that development.