Between all the self-righteous pronouncements of bicycling activists and the Austin-bashing declarations of soon-to-be-annexed citizens at last week’s council meeting, what — one might wonder — was the superlative moment of the day? Unexpectedly, it was a non-verbal one: the tense moment when the �ber-urban motley collection of cyclists exited the chambers in triumph following the repeal of the bicycle helmet ordinance, and the sour-faced suburban Suburban-drivers entered the chambers revved for a fight. Like volatile chemicals missing only a necessary catalyst for combustion, the suspicious glances exchanged between the two diametrically opposed groups hinted that the future makeup of Austin’s citizenry is destined to foster a witch’s brew of political debate. Despite the heady victory for Austin’s cycling fanatics, all the talk that day — as it will be for months to come — was annexation. Although annexation was very much in the overall agenda of the new council, Mayor Kirk Watson caught the whole city by surprise in mid-September when he announced his plan to annex approximately 10,000 acres of land by December 31. Last week’s was the first in a scheduled series of MUD-of-the-week public hearings on the city’s plan, and for starters focused on the North fringes which include Springwoods Municipal Utility District (MUD), Indian Oaks, Los Indios, and the Pond Springs Road area. Without exception, the residents representing these areas had nothing but venom for what they see as Austin’s fascistic march into the surrounding region. And, so far at least, the council has responded to the MUDdies’ concerns with stony silence.
Begging for answers and information, the overriding entreaty of the frustrated MUDdies has been to slow the process down and open a dialogue with the council. Springwoods even faxed a slower-phased proposal to Watson. However, the mayor does not appear interested in dropping the banner of a speedy annexation until all 10,000 acres are nestled snugly under city jurisdiction. Whether Austin or the annexables will benefit from the sweeping acquisitions is open for debate. But not, apparently, with council. Calling the mayor’s stance a “brick wall” of determination, however, even some city insiders have expressed concern about the wisdom of Watson’s hard-line, quick-fix policy [See “Naked City”‘s Off the Desk].
Councilmember Beverly Griffith points out, though, that when purchasing their homes, the residents had to sign MUD agreements which clearly stated that their areas would eventually be annexed by the city. So when Springwoods residents like Lillie Baker complain: “Had we wanted to be part of the City of Austin, we would have bought a home in the City of Austin,” council tends to be somewhat less than sympathetic.
On the other hand, MUDdie Cynthia Schoonover echoed the concerns of many who seem resigned to the inevitability of the takeover. “Instead of being done as soon as possible, perhaps it could be done as smoothly as possible. I don’t understand the need for speed,” she said. Other MUDdies talked about their concern that tax rates will increase and services will decrease under the city’s wing. Councilmember Bill Spelman finds that suggestion amusing. “It’s ludicrous to me to believe that any government body could take three times as much in taxes to deliver fewer services,” he says, vowing to avail the residents of the facts.
Nevertheless, MUDdie after MUDdie wrung his hands over decreased police, fire and EMS services, to say nothing of the upkeep of their parks. In Springwoods’ October District News, which responds point by point to the city’s written plan, the issue of swimming pools is particularly addressed. “Among the things that the city document doesn’t address is the status of the proposed improvements to the park… and, probably more importantly, the heated pool,” the District News reads. Considering the emergency repairs of the city’s existing pools which were debated in the recent budget, it is unlikely that Austin will dig up the funds to maintain a heated pool and adjacent lighted tennis court in an already wealthy neighborhood. “It’s inconceivable that a city and a MUD could deliver the same services. Things are going to go downhill in some ways,” Spelman concedes.
Not, however, if state representative Mike Krusee (R -Round Rock) has anything to do with it. Krusee, a resident of Springwoods and an anti-annexation bulldog on the lege floor, issued a clear warning to council when it convened a special meeting at the Pond Springs Elementary School in Springwoods on Monday night. Standing in the school’s overflowing gymnasium, cries of “annexation without representation!” and “Mayor, you’re not listening!” bolstered Krusee’s challenge. “If you refuse to negotiate and don’t act in good faith and don’t act responsibly, I think the lege response is going to be to take [annexation] powers away from you,” he declared, followed by a standing ovation of the angry crowd. Afterwards, away from the throngs, Krusee, who has demonstrated in past legislative sessions his intense dislike for Austin, complained that his attempts to work with the mayor had met with little response. “There are no negotiations. He’s not interested,” Krusee said.
Considering that securing the ability to annex was on Watson’s mind even before he was sworn in as mayor, it’s not surprising that he’s holding the line now. On the night of the May 31 run-off election, when greenies all over the city were beaming at the victories of Willie Lewis and Spelman, State Rep. Glen Maxey (D-Austin) sauntered into the City Coliseum and high-fived Daryl Slusher. After a hushed, excited exchange, the two men walked away laughing. Later on, at the winners’ after-party at Threadgill’s, Maxey told Watson’s campaign consultant David Butts a joke which would be cryptic to all but the most inside of political insiders: “Krusee told me on the House floor that he would make going after the City of Austin his number one priority in the next session. And my response was `How will we tell the difference?'” As Butts and Maxey chuckled, a political seed was being planted which only now has come to fruition.
What Maxey didn’t need to explain to Butts was that the council had specifically instructed Maxey to kill a bill put forward by Krusee which would have extended a state moratorium on Austin’s annexation powers until 1999. Latching onto a “point of order” — in other words a legislative technicality — Maxey successfully brought down the anti-annexation bill which Krusee now says Maxey had agreed to support. “If he hadn’t done that, this [annexation] wouldn’t be happening,” says Krusee. Although Maxey says Krusee’s take on their agreement is a simple misunderstanding, he does confirm that the mandate for his action came from the newly elected members of council.
“From the beginning of the session, the city lobby team and individual councilmembers suggested that the Krusee bill was not good policy for the City of Austin,” Maxey says, admitting that early on in the debate, the uncertain future makeup of the council and the fact that he had 25 bills pending made the bill kill politically risky. However, Maxey says he had “nothing to lose” after Watson was elected and his bills had run their courses. “Every councilmember that I talked to asked me to kill it, and I did what my city asked me to do,” he says.
So, now that the City of Austin has earned an avowed legislative enemy as its neighbor to the North, and it is striving, as one MUDdie promised, “to give the vote to some very angry citizens,” is Watson planning on adjusting his annexation dreams? “We’re going forward with the annexation program,” answers Watson determinedly, though he admits that the council wants to do more to answer MUDdie concerns. “Our approach had been that the purpose was to hear [the residents], and obviously it needs to be more interactive. I think we’re learning, too, and I think the council feels very strongly they deserve answers,” he says, coyly adding: “They may not be answers everyone likes, but they certainly deserve answers.”
Next Week In Council: No meeting this week. However, the council will hold a public hearing on the annexation of the 183 West area at 6:30pm on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the Spicewood Elementary School at 11601 Olson Dr.
This article appears in October 10 • 1997 and October 10 • 1997 (Cover).