A postponed vote on annexing land northwest of Texarkana, Texas, will take place at the City Council's next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 27.
The council met Monday to discuss altering the boundaries of the final area being considered for annexation but decided to leave them as is and proceed with the vote next week.
On Aug. 13, the council voted to annex five of seven proposed territories and leave a sixth outside the city limits. Saying she wanted to discuss annexing only a portion of the seventh area, called Study Area 6, Ward 1 Council Member Jean Matlock asked to postpone voting on it.
The council called Monday's special meeting to consider Matlock's request. By the time it began, she had made up her mind.
"I looked at it, and I'm ready to vote," Matlock said. "I want to leave it as is."
Because the council made no changes, it did not have to take any votes or other action.
Study Area 6 is a 23.6-acre territory on either side of Richmond Road/FM 559 in the vicinity of Woodmere Court, adjacent to northwest Texarkana. The area is almost completely surrounded by the city.
Annexation has been a controversial issue since the city began the process in May. At two public hearings, residents of the areas to be annexed told the council they did not want city services or to pay higher taxes and other expenses.
The city must extend water and sewer service to the annexed territories within two-and-a-half years, according to a service agreement that is part of the annexation ordinances.
Residents will have six months to connect to city services once they are available. The service agreement allows case-by-case exceptions for people more than 65 years old, homes more than 300 feet from a service line and homes with a working aerobic septic system. The city may also, at its discretion, give residents up to an additional year to connect.