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The End of an Era - Fireworks Area on I10 West to Close

Just when we thought we could take a brief break from annexation, the City of San Antonio voted yesterday, WITH NO NOTICE, to annex the commercial corridor along I10 West from Leon Springs to past Fair Oaks.  This is an attempt to gets us inch by inch.  I ask everyone to stand up for private property rights.

The City action puts that corridor in the City Limits on August 31.  How can they do this?  Help us change the state law to protect rights!  Learn more at www.homeownersagainstannexation.com
An immediate impact is fireworks stands at Old Fredericksburg Road.  This would be the last time they would be open along with the SAFE zone.  Whether you like fireworks or not, how would you feel if the City without your consent could take your business away?

Are you an environmentalist?  Did you know the City has less strict impervious cover requirements than the County?  Anybody on the COSA City Council that took this action under the guise of protecting the aquifer is misinformed.

Are you happy with your fire protection from Leon Springs Volunteer Fire Department (LSVFD) through ESD#4? They provide us great service at a tremendous value.  This commercial corridor puts that service at risk by splitting the fire district!
 
Let’s stand up to big government.  Send an email to homeownersagainstannexation@gmail.com to sign up to rally neighbors at the Fireworks Stands and SAFE zone on July 4th!

The Right to Vote on Annexation is Within Reach!

The last 48 hours have been an interesting and exciting time in the struggle to end the tyranny of forced annexation.  First, the Texas House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs held a hearing in the San Antonio City Council Chambers.  Then, the Governor’s office called on us to help push his special session legislative agenda through to passage!
 
Monday, Chairman Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat from San Antonio, called a hearing to discuss annexation reform and military.  From the outset, the Chairman framed to hearing as a discussion on encroachment to military bases that could negatively impact their ability to conduct the mission.  However, from the first of a dozen “invited” guests to testify, the claims of limiting the annexation power of cities will result in base closures through out Texas were the Kool-Aid of the day.
 
For over three (3) hours, these invited witnesses gave testimony that the City has to annex our area in order to protect the mission at Camp Bullis.  While no uniformed military member gave testimony, a letter from BGen Heather Pringle, Commander JBSA was read into the record reiterating the fake news that limiting municipal annexation power would make it more difficult to mitigate encroachment; several civilians from the military gave testimony making the same claim.  The rest of the invited testimony was from City of San Antonio staff and other municipal employees from the surrounding area.
 
Finally, resident testimony began.  The first two (2) to speak where residents I had not met before and spoke in favor of annexation…was that order a coincidence?  I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.
 
Next, we got to over 35 residents that signed up to talk on supporting the right to vote on who governs us AND supporting the military mission.  One by one, residents gave testimony the refuted every bit of smoke screen the invited witnesses put forth.  From the egregious development and encroachment at the Rim compared to the modest and mostly residential development in the County.  From the special delayed annexation deals granted to the communities on the east side of Camp Bullis that border the post to the armageddon of not annexing the I10 West area that does not even abut Camp Bullis.
 
While encroachment and the right to vote on annexation are two different issues, we believe the City has asked the military to come out on their side of the issue.  We demonstrated numerous tools the County has to mitigate encroachment so we just need to keep saying the same message.  It is clear the City has not been a good steward of reducing encroachment as evidenced by the dense development on the southern border of Camp Bullis while the County side of Camp Bullis has mostly less dense residential development.  How many four (4) story building are in the County near or around Camp Bullis?  That’s right, none.  How many of the buildings at the Rim look down into Camp Bullis?  That’s right, many.
 
The Committee claimed they would support our right to vote on annexation as long as the military mission is protected.  While I think we demonstrated that, we will need to continue to drive this point home.  Mostly we need facts on the encroachment so please reach out to us if you have data to refute the City claims.
 
I would acknowledge that Chairman Gutierrez was gracious with the time he allowed each resident to speak.  He could have limited our testimony to two (2) minutes but allowed people to speak as much as they wanted.  Of course, this came after hours of “invited” witnesses on the other side of the issue.
 
My hat goes off to Representative Terry Wilson, Republican from Georgetown.  He asked insightful questions and appears to be on the side of liberty!  Representative Phil Cortez, Democrat from the Alamo Ranch was also on the dais and is very supportive of our cause.
 
Tuesday, the Governor’s office reached out to us and we were able to have a conference call with high level staff members.  The Governor is asking for our help to get the special session agenda through the legislative process.  Private property rights are a top item on his list and he has vowed to support annexation reform and our right to vote!  We are looking forward to working with the Governor to get annexation reform done so we can end the tyranny of forced annexation once and for all!
 
During the next few weeks we will be finalizing the strategy for the special session and begin emails, calls and visits to the Capitol.  Please prepare yourself for trips to Austin about the end of July to give testimony.
 
Sign up at www.homeownersagainstannexation.com for updates.
 
 
Other coverage is available at the Texas Tribune, The San Antonio Express News and Texas Public Radio.

CALL TO ACTION!

CALL TO ACTION! ALL MILITARY MEMBERS, VETERANS AND CITIZENS WHO WANT THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON BECOMING PART OF SAN ANTONIO!
Do you want to right to vote AND support the military mission of Camp Bullis? I certainly do! Chairman Roland Gutierrez, Texas House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will be holding a meeting this Monday, June 19th at 10AM in the San Antonio City Council Chambers.
He claims Camp Bullis and all the other military installations in or around Bexar County will close if the City does not annex our community. We are working on data to refute their claims. Please come to the hearing to make sure they know both missions can be achieved!
If you have special knowledge on the topic, we want to hear from you. Especially if you have detailed knowledge on the Joint Land Use Study https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/OMA/CampBullisFINAL2009_08_03_RRR.pdf. Please send an email to Mike Stewart, mikestewart97@yahoo.com.
We want to have a huge showing at this Committee Hearing. Let's plan on meeting at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Monday morning. Details to follow!

SB715 is on the Agenda for the Special Legislative Session!

This bright 10-year-old girl once told a Texas Senate and House committee in a recent hearing "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  I believe now more than ever that liberty will prevail.  For the time being, thank the Governor of this great State!  Take a week off and then gear up to energize everybody you know in the State to fight for annexation reform during the upcoming special session of the 85th Texas Legislature.

Watch for update as we work with our Representatives and fellow freedom fighters on a strategy to get annexation reform passed into law and once and for all, end the tyranny of forced annexation.


Thanks

Mike

BREAKING NEWS........

We are hopeful that Gov. Abbott may be able to help us [get a Special Session] if we can get a record number of emails sent to him immediately. That means that EVERY ONE of us who doesn't want to be annexed to San Antonio MUST send him an email RIGHT NOW asking him to....

PLEASE CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION TO VOTE ON ANNEXATION REFORM - SB715.

This one statement is all you need to put in your email. If we send wordy emails, they may not read through it to add it to the #SpecialSession, #Annexation #Reform stack. So just a simple message is better!  You can also tweet to @GovAbbott.


Many of the same folks have been sending emails to the Capitol for months, and that is GREAT! But right now we need EVERYONE to send an email. Please accept this challenge and get your email in...that would be 8,073 emails! Imagine the statement that would make to the Governor! 


Thanks for your help in getting the Governor to call for a Special Session!

Contact Gov. Abbott
https://gov.texas.gov/contact/ 
OR