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Council denies incomplete petition to release 23.54 acres from Decatur ETJ
Summary
Council voted to deny a petition from Eric George seeking to release 23.54 acres from Decatur's extraterritorial jurisdiction after staff said the application was incomplete under state election-code requirements.
Council considered a petition submitted March 18, 2026, by Eric George seeking release of 23.54 acres from Decatur’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Staff told the council that recent legislative changes limit the city's current ETJ authority largely to billboard signs, and that the petition itself was missing required information — either a date of birth or a voter registration number — so under state law the application was technically incomplete.
City staff and the city attorney explained that if the council took no action the petition could be considered approved by operation of law after 45 days; staff recommended denial based on the statutory deficiency. Council member (speaker 10) moved to deny the petition due to improper application, the motion was seconded, and the council approved the denial. City Attorney explained the statutory cross-reference to the elections code and stressed strict compliance requirements.
