GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — City leaders in Gatesville are considering annexing additional land into city limits to accommodate the community’s anticipated growth.
During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, City Manager Brad Hunt highlighted the urgency of keeping pace with development.
“This is the second or third annexation request this year," Hunt said. "These indicators said that growth is coming to our town."
One request comes from a local family on Stillhouse Road, who is asking the council to extend city utilities, such as water and sewer, to their property in exchange for allowing the construction of duplexes on a portion of their land.
“It’s voluntary annexation, so when folks want city services and want to be part of the city, and their property is close enough to the city to be able to do that, then we will be able to consider that request,” Hunt said.
According to Hunt, annexing this land will help support growth through additional rooftops, sales tax revenue, and higher property tax values.
The City Council believes annexation is the best use of the land. The ordinance passed during the meeting and will be read twice in upcoming sessions before it is finalized by the end of February.
“The goal is to have smart growth that makes sense to the public, to what the town is,” Hunt said. “We don’t want to change the history or character of the town, but growth is coming. We know it is — so managing that growth is our goal.”
