© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Converse To Annex Parts Of Northeast Bexar County And San Antonio Neighborhoods

Joey Palacios
/
Texas Public Radio
Converse Mayor Al Suarez (center) joins San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor and city staff during a press conference on the muncipal boundary adjustments.

The City of San Antonio is giving two square miles of its land to the City of Converse. Converse will also annex three square miles of unincorporated Bexar County. The two cities are entering into an agreement to provide better services to the areas.

Story continues below photo

Credit City of San Antonio
/
City of San Antonio
San Antonio will release 2.2 sq mi of its property (in the various shades of light to dark green) to the City of Converse over seven years. Northampton should be released to Converse within a year.

The Northampton neighborhood is included in the two square miles San Antonio is turning over to Converse.  Debbie Fassett a Northampton resident hopes the change will shorten police response times.

“I had to call police and had about 45 minutes for a 911 call out to the house because they’re having to come from East Houston Street.”

San Antonio Councilman Alan Warrick says San Antonio has a hard time providing services there.  “It’s been tough to offer exact services with just San Antonio resources because they’re kind of an island over there. They’re definitely closer to Converse City Hall than San Antonio City Hall.”

Credit Joey Palacios / Texas Public Radio
/
Texas Public Radio
San Antonio's District 2 Councilman Alan Warrick talks with residents of Northampton who are welcoming the switch to Converse

San Antonio will also give Converse portions of Gibbs-Sprawl Road.  The three square miles of unincorporated Bexar County that will be incorporated into Converse includes the blighted neighborhoods of the Glen and Camelot.

Converse Mayor Al Suarez says his city will provide needed police services. “That’s basic planning. We’re not going to take anything we can’t handle,” he says.

These areas were part of San Antonio’s aggressive annexation plans last year but the city scaled back its plans and declined annexing these parts of the county.

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor says the city would have lost money if it had done that. “The cost to provide services was more than we would gain in revenues,” she adds.

The annexation is expected to take seven years. The Converse City Council will vote on the agreement next week. The San Antonio City Council is expected to approve it on Feb. 2.

Credit City of San Antonio
/
City of San Antonio
San Antonio will release portions of its extraterritorial jurisdiction - like the neighborhoods of Camelot II and The Glen to be annexed by the City of Converse

Joey Palacios can be reached atJoey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules