Fort Worth is expected to join a nearby city’s annexation fight in Parker County.
Fort Worth City Council members approved a resolution Tuesday allowing the city attorney to join Aledo in a lawsuit that alleges abuse of Texas’ annexation law by Willow Park. City officials made no comment on the resolution at their meeting.
Aledo’s planned lawsuit alleges that Willow Park violated requirements of state law by attempting to exercise its annexation power, according to a staff report.
Aledo alleges that Willow Park attempted to extend the eastern border of its extraterritorial jurisdiction, a designated area outside a municipality’s city limits used to determine growth and the need for city services. The city sought to move its extraterritorial jurisdiction border from the intersection of the Bankhead Highway and Nu Energy Drive to FM 1187.
“Specifically, the lawsuit will allege that Willow Park failed to comply with applicable annexation law when it purported to pass a series of ordinances attempting to expand its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and annex various tracts of land,” officials wrote in the report.
Willow Park interim city manager Michelle Guelker did not immediately respond to a request to comment Wednesday.
The purported annexation is outside of Willow Park’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to the report.
“Importantly, the northern portion of the Bankhead right-of-way is located within Fort Worth’s ETJ and the southern portion of the Bankhead right-of-way is located within Aledo’s ETJ and corporate city limits,” officials wrote in the report.
As a result, Aledo intends to file suit seeking a court declaration that the annexations at issue were unlawful and void, according to the report.
“It is recommended that Fort Worth join Aledo in filing this lawsuit against Willow Park to protect its own interests,” officials wrote.
The city expects to pay filing fees less than $2,500, an expense budgeted in the lawsuit expenses account with the Financial Management Services Department’s risk financing fund.
The resolution authorizes payment or reimbursement of the fees associated with the lawsuit, according to city officials.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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