SAN ANTONIO – Residents in the Bexar County community of Alamo Ranch will file a petition Friday seeking the city's blessing to hold a vote on whether to incorporate and become the city of Alamo Ranch.
"We'd like to keep our money local and develop and improve how we choose," said Richard Cash, chairman of the Committee to Incorporate Alamo Ranch (CIAR). "We'd also like to govern ourselves."
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Alamo Ranch is one of five county areas the city's planning department is considering for limited-purpose annexation –- a three-year examination of the financial feasibility and economic impact of bringing an area within San Antonio city limits. The city estimates the areas would generate $70 million in tax revenue annually by the year 2020.
The incorporation would include 8.9 square-miles of land located between Culebra, Wiesman and Tally roads and Loop 1604. Cash estimates the city's population would be more than 5,000 people. He said the planning process is already underway and the group is studying how to disburse tax revenue.
Click here to read a statement from the city of San Antonio on the CIAR petition.
"We've thought about the tax base here, rooftops and commercial business, what amount we're going to allocate to what portions of disbursements, either public works or police department," he said.
The group has already received the support of Rep. Rick Galindo and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. He said the city's annexation plans are akin to a money grab.
"They've been talking about annexation for 10 years and haven't done anything," Wolff said. "They're taking areas that will pay them a little bit of a profit, which leaves out a large section. If people want to create their own city, want to incorporate themselves, we support that."
Planning Director John Dugan said CAIR's plan, and those that have come before it, go against current city policy. He said residents are often for annexation initially, but once they examine how expensive a process it is, they change course. He believes it's unlikely the City Council, which has sole discretion on the issue, would support the creation of the city of Alamo Ranch. On Thursday the group denied a petition from residents in the Bexar County community of Savannah Heights looking to incorporate.
"The city would not support incorporations of new potentially competing cities, out of concern for economic competition and drawing off jobs from the city," Dugan said.
Click the names below to read their letters of support.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Sergio Rodriguez
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff
