Posts
From http://www.cstx.gov/wellborn on April 10, 2010
Clarifying Wellborn
In recent weeks, the citizens of College Station have heard only one side regarding the effort to incorporate Wellborn. The City Council has directed city staff to work with Citizens for Wellborn to achieve mutual goals outside of incorporation, but Citizens for Wellborn continue to circulate a petition that clearly undermines the spirit of compromise.
This issue is complex and before any College Station resident chooses to sign a petition, we hope they will consider the city’s position.
----> PDF of City Attorney's Petition Letter
Original Points of Clarification
Incorrectly playing on the sympathies of CS residentsThe Citizens for Wellborn falsely claim their constitutional right to vote is being violated. Previous generations of state lawmakers deliberately preserved the rights of cities to manage their future growth.
Citizens for Wellborn are not including their own
A significant number of property owners falling within the Citizens for Wellborn plan will never have the ability to vote because they don’t live on those properties. Some of those property owners were never even asked if they wanted to be included in this endeavor.
Residents of other cities know this is a bad ideaOver the past 50 years, 349 new cities have formed in Texas. Of those, only a very small percentage did so within another city’s ETJ. And many of those were opposed by the existing cities. Historic examples provided by Citizens for Wellborn do not reflect the same geographic scenario as College Station/Wellborn.
Limited future optionsIf College Station can’t grow to the south — in this case, due to a city with the physical size of Hearne as our southern neighbor — it would mean less development, less tax revenue to pay for city services, and result in fewer choices and higher property taxes for College Station residents.
CS residents will pay
Citizens for Wellborn say they’ll rely on county services if they become a city. But College Station (and Bryan) residents pay for more than half the budget of Brazos County Sheriff’s and Road & Bridge departments. So, if allowed to become a city, Wellborn would rely on these county services, and an increase in costs to provide those services could result in higher taxes for College Station residents. That money would never come back to College Station
Finding Common Ground
What CS residents should know about their city’s ability to grow
In recent weeks, the citizens of College Station have heard only one side regarding the effort to incorporate Wellborn. The City Council has directed city staff to work with Citizens for Wellborn to achieve mutual goals outside of incorporation, but Citizens for Wellborn continue to circulate a petition that clearly undermines the spirit of compromise.
This issue is complex and before any College Station resident chooses to sign a petition, we hope they will consider the city’s position.
----> PDF of City Attorney's Petition Letter
Original Points of Clarification
Incorrectly playing on the sympathies of CS residentsThe Citizens for Wellborn falsely claim their constitutional right to vote is being violated. Previous generations of state lawmakers deliberately preserved the rights of cities to manage their future growth.
Citizens for Wellborn are not including their own
A significant number of property owners falling within the Citizens for Wellborn plan will never have the ability to vote because they don’t live on those properties. Some of those property owners were never even asked if they wanted to be included in this endeavor.
Residents of other cities know this is a bad ideaOver the past 50 years, 349 new cities have formed in Texas. Of those, only a very small percentage did so within another city’s ETJ. And many of those were opposed by the existing cities. Historic examples provided by Citizens for Wellborn do not reflect the same geographic scenario as College Station/Wellborn.
Limited future optionsIf College Station can’t grow to the south — in this case, due to a city with the physical size of Hearne as our southern neighbor — it would mean less development, less tax revenue to pay for city services, and result in fewer choices and higher property taxes for College Station residents.
CS residents will pay
Citizens for Wellborn say they’ll rely on county services if they become a city. But College Station (and Bryan) residents pay for more than half the budget of Brazos County Sheriff’s and Road & Bridge departments. So, if allowed to become a city, Wellborn would rely on these county services, and an increase in costs to provide those services could result in higher taxes for College Station residents. That money would never come back to College Station
Finding Common Ground
- Many of the objectives voiced by the Citizens for Wellborn are consistent with the city’s objectives.
- Nearly every objective raised by Citizens for Wellborn is best accommodated through annexation, such as police, fire, sewer, building inspection and zoning.
- Objectives can be met through a tailored approach working in partnership with the city, rather than in opposition to the city (small-area plans, unique regulations, public investment).
- There are many ways to give Citizens for Wellborn what they want that do not include the one path that will cause the most long-term harm to CS residents.
What CS residents should know about their city’s ability to grow
- CS has grown to its current size through annexation since 1938
- Physical expansion has allowed for new development and economic success that residents are enjoying even during tough times
- CS always has expanded to the south due to growth constraints• CS growth is accompanied by parks, roads, sewers, and fire and police protection
- Having another city within the CS growth corridor complicates every facet of this expansion. It means any growth either would be more expensive to CS residents or simply impossible.
