San Antonio Resuming Annexations (Spring, Canyon: HOA, crime, house)

[Merovee]

City officials did not indicate which neighborhoods are most ripe for early annexation, saying the new annexation plan allows for existing developed neighborhoods to be annexed, and also for the annexation of empty land, industrial property, and other types of areas.

In the decade since the city annexed neighborhoods, the uninhabited Government Canyon Recreational Areas was annexed in 2006, the population of unincorporated Bexar County has boomed, with more than 300,000 people living in Bexar County outside of any city limits.

City of San Antonio to Resume Annexations | WOAI LOCAL NEWS - NewsRadio 1200 WOAI, San Antonio

Hopefully we won't become the 5th largest city in the US anytime soon...

[rynetwo]

The City should focus on land they already annexed and should continue to modernize our traffic grid before they go "gobbling" up more land.

[pr57001]

Say what you will about how well the city does, but at least cities have the power to regulate development that counties don't, the consequences of which are obvious...everytime your in the county. It's a mess.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I think the extra taxes for me would amount to about $300 per year. I'd be happy to pay it if it meant we'd have city emergency services and not have to deal with the sheriff's department if we have an emergency.

[L210]

I'm sorry, but the unincorporated part of the county is a mess. The city could start by annexing the densely populated far westside and northeast side which has been in the news lately for looking like a third world country. Not only does the county not have the power to properly regulate these areas, but it also doesn't have the resources to fully deal with the crime and other emergency issues as mentioned above.

[Randyk47]

We live up in the Canyon Springs area, probably no more than three or four blocks outside the city limits. Years ago, maybe five or six, the city was very close to annexing our area. I think we were just months away from annexation when a court case was filed and some mistake was found in the annexation paperwork. I don't remember all the details but as I recall the mistake meant the city had to start what was at least then a four or five year process all over again. To the best of my knowledge they've never done that, at least our sizable HOA hasn't mentioned it recently. As for tax increases as a result of annexation....well that's hard to determine and at least during the last go around the naysayers were putting out increases like $2,000 to $3,000 a year, certainly not $300 a year. I guess the true increase is probably somewhere in that range. Personally I'm not sure what we'd get by being part of the city other than the obvious police and fire and in ten years here neither of those have been an issue.

[datacity]

Originally Posted by Randyk47

We live up in the Canyon Springs area, probably no more than three or four blocks outside the city limits. Years ago, maybe five or six, the city was very close to annexing our area. I think we were just months away from annexation when a court case was filed and some mistake was found in the annexation paperwork. I don't remember all the details but as I recall the mistake meant the city had to start what was at least then a four or five year process all over again. To the best of my knowledge they've never done that, at least our sizable HOA hasn't mentioned it recently. As for tax increases as a result of annexation....well that's hard to determine and at least during the last go around the naysayers were putting out increases like $2,000 to $3,000 a year, certainly not $300 a year. I guess the true increase is probably somewhere in that range. Personally I'm not sure what we'd get by being part of the city other than the obvious police and fire and in ten years here neither of those have been an issue.

The city tax rate is just over 0.5% (closer to 0.57%) of assessed value, so just divide the assessed value of your house by 200 to get a ballpark figure for the tax increase. Off a $200,000 house, it would be ~$1,000 more in taxes each year.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by Randyk47

As for tax increases as a result of annexation....well that's hard to determine and at least during the last go around the naysayers were putting out increases like $2,000 to $3,000 a year, certainly not $300 a year. I guess the true increase is probably somewhere in that range. Personally I'm not sure what we'd get by being part of the city other than the obvious police and fire and in ten years here neither of those have been an issue.

If the assessed value of your property (according to BCAD) is in the $350,000-$500,000 range, then yes, $2,000-$3,000 per year in City tax is what you can expect.

[Randyk47]

Originally Posted by ged_782

If the assessed value of your property (according to BCAD) is in the $350,000-$500,000 range, then yes, $2,000-$3,000 per year in City tax is what you can expect.

Can't say I'm excited about paying that much for what wouldn't be a significant increase in services. Many of the communities up this way are gated and guarded so it's not like additional police protection would be all that much of a gain. The fire protection would be nice and indeed there's a station on Evans just south of Stone Oak so they're close. $2,000 to $3,000 nice? Hmmm........

[en28so]

Originally Posted by L210

I'm sorry, but the unincorporated part of the county is a mess. The city could start by annexing the densely populated far westside side which has been in the news lately for looking like a third world country. Not only does the county not e the power to properly regulate these areas, but it also doesn't have the resources to fully deal with the crime and other emergency issues as mentioned above.

Third World country? Can you please elaborate? So the area around AR looks like a third world country? Is that what you are talking about with your blanket statement? I came from a third world country, and know first hand what a real third world country looks like. And it's nothing like the far northwest, if that is what you are talking about.