Living in San Antonio vs Bexar County (Bowie: sales, apartment complexes)

[Steel Man]

It is common here to say you live in San Antonio, when actually you might live in Bexar County. My mailing address says San Antonio, but I am a mile beyond the city limits. Here are some differences:

Trash Pick-up: SA provides p/u in city limits at a lower cost. In the county you have to sign up with someone like WM or BFI at a higher cost (I pay $86 for four months with WM).

Fire Protection: SA has own department. In the county there is usually a volunteer fire department. Some areas of the county have emergency districts that tax you through property tax (Around $30 a year depending on how much your house is worth). Also, your home insurance can be higher depending on the rating the volunteer fire department has.

Water/sewer: There is SAWS (owned by city) and Bexarmet. SAWS provides water in some county areas, but you pay a little more.

Electric: City Public Service provides power for SA and county at same cost.

Police: Once again SA has own department. County has sheriff department.

Emergency Care: Ambulance service available to SA and county

Street Lights: SA provides street lights in the neighborhoods. County does not. Note: Some HOAs provide limited lighting (unless your in a rich one and you will have more), usually only at intersections.

Property Taxes: Everyone pays the county property tax. People in SA also pay additional property tax

As far as annexation goes, SA believes that if you work in SA and enjoy their benefits, then you should pay city property taxes. That said, they regularly annex unincorporated county areas. It now takes 3 years for the process due to new Texas State law. My opinion is that in 25 years, all of Bexar County that is not incorporated will be in the SA area.

Hope this helps.

[neddy]

That's a good list Steelman. Also your HOA fees are going to be alot higher behind gates cause here is ya live behind the gates you pay to keep up the roads also. Not sure if that happens in CA or elsewhere

[RedOregon]

One thing that sometimes slows down annexation is that the PD and FD have to be able to respond within X number of minutes to annex. From what I hear, that's the only thing that's stopped them from annexing in a few cases.

That means if you see a City FD or PD station being built close to you, watch out!

[Newk]

So what do you guys think is cheaper, or are they about the same. I was looking at apartment complexes to live when i move there. Anyone know off hand where the city limit boundaries are?

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by Newk

I was looking at apartment complexes to live when i move there. Anyone know off hand where the city limit boundaries are?

The city boundaries are complicated. There are incorporated areas in Bexar County that are surrounded by San Antonio that aren't part of San Antonio. Your best ways of finding out whether a given building is in the city would either be a good map book, like Mapsco or a good map site, like Google Maps.

BTW, good thread topic, Steel Man.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

As far as annexation goes, SA believes that if you work in SA and enjoy their benefits, then you should pay city property taxes.

Just curious, as one who working within the city limits but lives outside of them, just what you are basing this comment on? Is there some effort by the city to try to get people who live outside of the city limits to pay city property taxes? I doubt that would pass muster. Or are you simply saying that the city wants all the property taxes it can get, so it is expanding through annexation?

No government can tie income and property taxes, they are two separate entities and as far as I know, there are no income taxes in the state of Texas? As a matter of fact, I have never heard of a city collecting income taxes from its workers. That revenue is derived from other sources, such as sales taxes which everyone pays...

Cheers! M2

[SilverCreek78250]

IMHO, SA should incorporate all of Bexar County and combine the governments, then creat one big San Antonio Consolidated School District and combine the resources and eliminate the overhead. Of course, other already incorporated cities within Bexar county would not be impacted, but they could consider including thier school districts.

Just a thought.

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

As a matter of fact, I have never heard of a city collecting income taxes from its workers. That revenue is derived from other sources, such as sales taxes which everyone pays...

Several cities levy municipal income taxes. The ones I know of off the top of my head are New York City, Baltimore, Washington DC, and several cities in Ohio.

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by SilverCreek78250

IMHO, SA should incorporate all of Bexar County and combine the governments, then creat one big San Antonio Consolidated School District and combine the resources and eliminate the overhead. Of course, other already incorporated cities within Bexar county would not be impacted, but they could consider including thier school districts.

Just a thought.

I don't think it's possible in Texas to combine city governments with school districts...

Also most people pay Taxes to San Antonio even if they don't live in the City Limits... If you buy anything withing the City Limits you pay Sales Tax to San Antonio. Also San Antonio as the owner of CPS gets a nice skim in revenue from that, and it doesn't matter that some of CPS customers are not in the City Limits, they still pay the same....

I live in one of the other incorporated cities, but I don't feel bad using San Antonio resources.... I pay plenty to San Antonio in Sales and Utility taxes for the services I use. In fact my incorporated city takes in very little in sales taxes, there are maybe eight small businesses in the entire city.

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by Bowie

The city boundaries are complicated. There are incorporated areas in Bexar County that are surrounded by San Antonio that aren't part of San Antonio. Your best ways of finding out whether a given building is in the city would either be a good map book, like Mapsco or a good map site, like Google Maps.

Probably the best online map site for determining the city limits is the City of San Antonio's mapping site:
http://maps.sanantonio.gov/

Originally Posted by SilverCreek78250

IMHO, SA should incorporate all of Bexar County and combine the governments, then creat one big San Antonio Consolidated School District and combine the resources and eliminate the overhead. Of course, other already incorporated cities within Bexar county would not be impacted, but they could consider including thier school districts.

San Antonio and Bexar County have talked about consolidation before, but the Legislature refuses to pass the enabling legislation to do it.