A group of residents plan on presenting a petition of 50 registered voters living with a large portion of the Village of Salado calling for an election to disannex that portion of the village, which includes all of Mill Creek, Salado Creek Place, a portion of Royal Street and the residential subdivision Royal Oaks, as well as Victorian Oaks.

If the petition meets state law, the earliest date for an election would be the November 8, 2016.

The petition will have to meet several stipulations of Texas law, including Sec. 43.143. (b). DISANNEXATION BY PETITION AND ELECTION IN GENERAL-LAW MUNICIPALITY. That section states: “However, the area may not be discontinued as part of the municipality if the discontinuation would result in the municipality having less area than one square mile or one mile in diameter around the center of the original municipal boundaries.”

It is apparent from the map of the proposed area for disannexation supplied by Salado resident John Newman to individuals, but not to this newspaper, that the diameter of the original municipal boundaries of Salado would be smaller than the one-mile in most cross sections of the new boundaries if the election is approved by voters.

In a document shared with many residents in Salado, but not this newspaper, the author states “A petition is a natural part of the democratic process and a petition whose process is inscribed in state law makes it even more so. This is a petition SOLELY for the purpose of getting the question of disannexation on the November ballot. An actual vote to disannex will follow and you are not bound to vote for disannexation on November 8 just because you signed the petition,” the disannexation document states.

John Newman told Salado Village Voice in a phone conversation this afternoon that he and Brian Sunshine had “collaborated together” on the petition document. He said that he would read a short presentation during Public Comment portion of the meeting and then “present the petition to the City Administrator.” He told Salado Village Voice that the petition had 83 signatures that had been verified by volunteers.

“If voted upon favorably, Salado will remain an incorporated village and the disannexed portion will remain a part of the ETJ, insulating the disannexed area from being forcibly annexed by Belton,” the disannexation document states.

“The village government has increased our taxes from 12 to 18 to 34 to 54 cents per $100 valuation and taxpayers have seen little in return,” according to the disannexation document.

“A sewer system is being built upon the backs of taxpayers for Sanctuary who will never benefit from it – while our roads crumble and the Stagecoach sits dormant, absent of meaningful progress,” the disannexation document state. “The village government has beholden itself to both while failing to meet the needs of the citizenry.”

“On August 14, the mayor himself stated that: “A million dollar budget will not pay for roads, police, maintenance and other items”….but it does pay for lucrative incentives to prop up property values for landowners who can flip alleged developments (Sanctuary, Stagecoach, Next in line?),” according to the disannexation document.

“The 19.9 cents you currently pay in village taxes and city taxes for your cable bill, utilities, cellphone, landline will all be eliminated,” the document states.

While property owners would not be liable for the maintenance and operation tax portion of the overall property tax for the Village ($0.1999 per $100 valuation), they will have to continue to pay for the indebtedness of the Village due to the voter-approved bond. That tax rate is expected to increase from $0.13960 to more than $0.32 per $100 valuation. Property owners who are disannexed will still have to pay the property tax for the indebtedness for the lifetime of the bond. That debt would transfer to any new owners of the said property.

“Any city taxes paid will be prorated and rebated effective the date of disannexation,” the document states.

“County would take over roads and offer 24×7 county sheriff deputy protection instead of 19 x 7 village police coverage,” the document states.

Salado and Bell County have a mutual aid agreement for law enforcement, meaning that if an emergency call goes into the 911 center, the closest available officer will respond. According to County Commissioner Tim Brown, “the Sheriff’s regular patrol force probably averages no more than four officers on duty per shift for the entire county.” Bell County is 1,088 sq. miles in size, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Emergency Services (fire & ambulance) would remain the same,” the document states.

“Disannexed voters wouldn’t have to worry about the lack of transparency and disclosure, or secret meetings and negotiations,” the document states.

“Salado was incorporated to Save us from Belton,” the document states. “We need to disannex to save us from ourselves.”

“The sewer that supposedly was to benefit Main St. turns out to be mostly for Hanks Jr’s Sanctuary,” the document states.

“Our reserves have been depleted and a year of interest was squandered on a prematurely issued sewer bond,” the document states.

The document ends with a request for residents to contact John Newman at dustytx@hotmail.com or (254) 931-3241.