Travis County Emergency Services District No. 17 calls for an annexation election

Monday, August 23rd, 2021

Travis County Emergency Services District No. 17 calls for an annexation election.

As a result of two petitions presented to Travis County Emergency Services District No. 17 by citizens of the city of Pflugerville and its ETJ at public hearings on August 16, 2021, the Board of Commissioners of TCESD No. 17 called for two annexation proposition elections to be placed on the November 2, 2021 ballot. TCESD No. 17 is the governmental entity funding emergency medical services that was created May 1, 2021 by a 3-1 margin of voter approval in the election initiated by a 4000+ resident petition.

The November 2, 2021 annexation elections were approved by the Board at the public hearings, and orders were adopted that will allow voters in the current area of TCESD No. 17 (indicated on the map in the green area within the boundary) as well as voters in the city of Pflugerville (indicated on the map in the brown area) and voters within the remaining unincorporated Travis County, including Pflugerville extraterritorial jurisdiction (indicated on the map in the within the gray boundary) to cast their ballots for or against annexation of the city area and those unincorporated areas into the TCESD No. 17 boundaries.

ESD 17 Voting Areas

 

Residents of Pflugerville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction were prevented from voting in the first district creation election on May 1, 2021 because the City Councilmembers of Pflugerville denied consent to allow voters to decide on the creation of the TCESD No. 17 in a 6-1 vote. Two separate and distinct elections will be held this fall:

  • One for the annexation of the city
  • One for the annexation of the remaining unincorporated areas of Travis County within Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2.

In order for the city annexation to pass, the voters in the city must vote in favor of annexation, and in order for the annexation of the remaining unincorporated areas to pass, the voters in these combined areas must vote in favor of annexation. The voters within the current TCESD No. 17 must also vote in favor of the two respective annexations.

The city of Pflugerville, without its Councilmembers previously voting in open meeting to authorize any lawsuit against TCESD No. 17, filed a lawsuit late in the day on August 11th seeking to prevent TCESD No. 17 from holding the annexation elections. Pflugerville City Councilmembers authorized the lawsuit at the August 18th Council meeting, 6 days after it was filed. On Thursday, August 12th, Travis County District Court Judge Jan Soifer denied the city’s request for a temporary restraining order against TCESD No. 17. The city is continuing to pursue the case and seeking a temporary injunction to stop TCESD No. 17 from allowing the voters to decide how their emergency medical services will be funded.

Early voting for the annexation elections begins Monday, October 18th, and Election Day is November 2nd. More information will be posted on the TCESD No. 17 website in the coming weeks.