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Council grants petition to release property from Freeport's extraterritorial jurisdiction; vote 4–1
Summary
Council approved Resolution 2026-3038 granting Verer Materials and Equipment Company's petition to remove property from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Staff said recent state law grants property owners this right; council questioned potential tax implications but found property valuation resides with the county.
The Freeport City Council approved Resolution 2026-3038 to grant a petition by Verer Materials and Equipment Company to remove property from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The resolution passed 4–1.
Dr. Kelly explained that under recent legislative changes—cited as Chapter 42 of the Texas Local Government Code—the city is required to grant property owners' petitions to be released from the ETJ. "Under state law, the city is required to grant the release," Dr. Kelly told council.
Council members asked whether the release would affect ad valorem revenue or sales‑tax receipts. Staff checked county appraisal district information during the meeting and reported that the parcel appears to be in unincorporated county territory and that ETJ-related valuation and collection were managed by the county. "I don't see ad valorem benefit to the city from this parcel on the CAD website," a staff member reported.
Councilman Matamortis moved to approve the resolution and Councilman Davis seconded. After limited discussion and questions about the petition's rationale, the council voted to approve the release; the motion carried 4–1.
Next steps: Resolution 2026-3038 will be recorded and staff will follow up to confirm tax and platting responsibilities with the county appraisal district as needed.
