Brownsville to reduce its ETJ to resolve annexation quarrels

Brownsville has moved to resolve annexation disputes without legislative intervention by releasing portions of its extraterritorial jurisdiction to five cities.

The City Commission on Tuesday took one of two required votes approving proposed agreements with the communities of Indian Lake, Bayview, Port Isabel, Laguna Vista and Los Fresnos.

``It's a win-win situation,'' said Town of Laguna Vista City Manager Rolando Vela, a former lobbyist who spearheaded the effort to address annexation concerns of the smaller communities.

The smaller communities gained about 50 square miles combined, allowing for future growth.

The effort was not without a little arm-twisting.

The smaller communities enlisted and received the support of state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., state Rep. Eddie Lucio III and state Rep. Rene Oliveira to introduce legislation to reverse strip annexations by Brownsville dating back over about a decade. The communities felt landlocked with no room for expansion.

Legislation was introduced, but never became law. As a condition of the agreements, the state officials, including state Rep. Tara Rios-Ibarra signed a letter dated April 29, ensuring that they do not intend to pursue annexation legislation.

``We applaud the efforts of all municipalities in working towards agreements and continuing to negotiate agreements on the annexation/boundaries issues,'' the letter addressed to Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. and the City Commission states.

``We respect the local cooperation and will now give our assurance to do our part by not advancing the aforementioned legislation,'' the state legislators further wrote.

Brownsville City Attorney Mark Sossi said that the agreements with the communities also benefit the city. Brownsville can still expand, its annexations stand, and it doesn't have to annex Cameron Park. The city would prefer not to annex Cameron Park because it maintains that the colonia would lose state and federal funding to continue upgrading infrastructure needs.

San Benito also had expressed concern regarding Brownsville's annexations, but Sossi said that Brownsville has had an agreement in place with that city for a number of years and that it stands.

Like Vela, other officials from the smaller communities are satisfied with the agreements.

``We have gained quite a nice area where we can grow and that was our main concern. We had been kind of landlocked,'' Indian Lake Mayor Barbara J. Collum said.

Indian Lake's ETJ gained about two miles to the north. ``We're very pleased to be working with Brownsville,'' she said, noting that the plan is ``very reasonable.''

Los Fresnos City Manager Mike Milum agreed, noting that Brownsville officials and planning staff have been very cooperative and that the agreements manifested the collaboration among the communities.

And, while Milum agreed that there had been strength in numbers when the smaller communities banded together to seek redress, he emphasized that Los Fresnos and Brownsville always have had an excellent working relationship.

A second vote by the Brownsville City Commission approving the agreements is required before they take effect, but no one contacted anticipates any roadblocks.

The agreements specify that they should be entered into by July 1. Should litigation subsequently arise in connection with the agreements, mediation is required. If that doesn't resolve disputes, the issues would go before a state court judge, but the parties would give up their right to a trial by jury.