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Southwest Texas College seeks annexation of Dimmit County to establish technical campus; commissioners authorize petition
Summary
Southwest Texas College President Hector Gonzalez described plans for a technical campus offering trades such as welding, HVAC and truck driving and told the court annexation requires a petition of roughly 5% of registered voters. The commissioners authorized the county judge to sign the petition to begin the process toward a November election.
Dr. Hector Gonzalez, president of Southwest Texas College, told the Dimmit County Commissioners Court the college proposes to annex the county into its district to establish a technical campus that would offer career and workforce programs.
"We're looking at like a 15 to 20,000 square foot facility to begin with with opportunities to grow," Dr. Gonzalez said as he outlined potential programs including welding, air conditioning, construction science, cosmetology, truck driving and power‑line work. He said the annexation process would begin when the county submits a petition to the college board signed by roughly 5 percent of registered voters in the county — about 380 to 400 signatures — after which the board would publish a service plan, hold a local hearing and likely order an election for voters in November.
Commissioners and school‑district representatives said they welcomed the proposal and noted potential benefits for high‑school students and the broader community. The court voted to authorize the county judge to sign the petition to begin the annexation process; a motion to do so was made and seconded on the floor and carried.
Why it matters: A community college campus offering technical certificates and workforce training could change local education and employment opportunities. Annexation into a college district would subject campus funding and in‑district tuition rules to the college’s service plan and to voter approval in Dimmit County.
What’s next: If the petition and subsequent board action move forward, the college said it would publish a service plan, hold a local public hearing, and the board would likely order a local election (anticipated during the November general election) for county voters to accept or reject annexation.
