City of Wichita Falls v. State Ex Rel. Vogtsberger

533 S.W.2d 927, 19 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 204, 1976 Tex. LEXIS 200
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 3, 1976
DocketB-5593
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 533 S.W.2d 927 (City of Wichita Falls v. State Ex Rel. Vogtsberger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Wichita Falls v. State Ex Rel. Vogtsberger, 533 S.W.2d 927, 19 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 204, 1976 Tex. LEXIS 200 (Tex. 1976).

Opinion

STEAKLEY, Justice.

This is a quo warranto proceeding attacking the validity of several related annexation ordinances enacted by the City of Wichita Falls. The suit was brought by the State of Texas on the relation of Richard Vogtsberger, an affected property owner. The trial court concluded that the basic Ordinance No. 2756, and hence the dependent ordinances, were void and its judgment to such effect was affirmed by the Court of Civil Appeals. The stated reasons of the intermediate court were that the annexed territory was not adjacent to the pre-exis-tent city limits; and that, upon the basis of a presumed finding that notice of the annexation was not carried in a publication of general circulation, there was want of requisite notice. 526 S.W.2d 618. We disagree in both respects and so reverse and render judgment for the City.

The City of Wichita Falls is a home rule city located in Wichita County with a popu *929 lation in excess of 50,000 but less than 100,000. In accordance with Tex.Rev.Civ. Stat.Ann. art. 970a, § 3.A(4) (1963), it has a three and one-half mile extra-territorial jurisdiction. The area attempted to be annexed by Ordinance No. 2756 was contiguous to the pre-existent boundaries of the City to the extent of the width of the right-of-way of U.S. Highway 281. The proposed annexation extended southward along the highway to a point of intersection with a water transmission line lying between Lake Arrowhead and the city limits. The annexed land then followed the water line eastward and ended at a point within the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City. It is undisputed that the territory encompassed within Ordinance No. 2756 was contiguous to the boundaries of the City to the extent of the width of Highway 281; that all the annexed territory was within the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City of Wichita Falls; and that there was no conflict with the boundaries or extra-territorial jurisdiction of any other municipality. Ordinance No. 2780 extended beyond the area annexed by Ordinance No. 2756 and along the right-of-way of the water transmission line for a distance less than three and one-half miles. Ordinance No. 2808 began at the terminus of the area annexed by Ordinance No. 2780 and included the remaining portion of the right-of-way of the water line, together with the area covered by Lake Arrowhead, also a distance of less than three and one-half miles. Ordinance No. 2808 specifically excluded any portion of the described area within the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City of Scotland.

Citing Fox Development Company v. City of San Antonio, 468 S.W.2d 338 (Tex.1971), the basic contention of the City of Wichita Falls, Petitioner, is that the courts below were in error in holding Ordinance No. 2756 to be void for lack of adjacency. Respondent seeks to distinguish Fox on the ground that the instant case involves a direct attack in quo warranto, whereas the attack in Fox was collateral. Relying on City of Wichita Falls v. Bowen, 143 Tex. 45, 182 S.W.2d 695 (1944), Respondent argues that in a direct proceeding of this nature the courts may consider the shape of the area to be annexed and the purposes for the annexation in determining the validity of annexation ordinances; and that there are tests or standards to be applied in quo war-ranto proceedings different from those to be utilized in collateral attacks. Respondent says, finally, that if controlling, Fox should be re-examined and overruled.

Traditionally, the courts of this State have not scrutinized the purpose of annexation ordinances or the use or character of the occupation of the annexed territory. Nor have our courts prescribed shape limitations. These are legislative prerogatives. State ex rel. Pan American Production Co. v. Texas City, 157 Tex. 450, 303 S.W.2d 780 (1957); City of Gladewater v. State ex rel. Walker, 138 Tex. 173, 157 S.W.2d 641 (1941); State v. City of Waxahachie, 81 Tex. 626, 17 S.W. 348 (1891); Norris v. City of Waco, 57 Tex. 635 (1882); and State ex rel. Graves v. City of Sulphur Springs, 214 S.W.2d 663 (Tex.Civ.App.—Texarkana 1948, writ ref’d n. r. e.). Generally speaking, the limitations fixed on the power of a city to annex additional territory by legislative enactments are that the .territory be adjacent to existing boundaries and within the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the annexing city. Art. 970a, supra; City of Waco v. City of McGregor, 523 S.W.2d 649 (Tex.1975); Fox Development Company v. City of San Antonio, supra; State ex rel. Pan American Production Co. v. Texas City, supra. 1

*930 Fox Development Company v. City of San Antonio, supra, involved a collateral attack on the validity of one of a group of “spoke” ordinances enacted by the City of San Antonio. The ordinance in controversy annexed the right-of-way of Highway 281 adjacent to the City of San Antonio. The area annexed was not included within and did not touch the city limits of any other city. We upheld the ordinance against the contention that it was void for want of adjacency. In so doing we reviewed essentially the same considerations urged by Respondent here, together with the ruling decisions of this Court, many of which we have noticed above. It was correctly said in Fox:

. There is no suggestion in the decisions of our courts that there may be legal non-adjacency, notwithstanding actual contiguity, where annexation by, or adjacency to only one city is involved.

See also City of Waco v. City of McGregor, supra; and City of Irving v. Dallas County Flood Control District, 383 S.W.2d 571 (Tex.1964). Respondent’s reliance on City of Wichita Falls v. Bowen, supra, is misplaced. That case involved a collateral attack on the annexation of two airfields and the highway connecting them to the city. The ordinance, covered the width of the highway for a distance of three to four miles before spreading out to cover the airfields. The Court of Civil Appeals held the annexation ordinance to be void on the ground that the land was not legally adjacent. This Court reversed, holding:

It is true, as shown by the opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals, that the land here annexed is only joined to the City by a narrow neck, but that fact, standing alone, could not render this ordinance void.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Ingleside, Texas v. City of Corpus Christi, Texas
469 S.W.3d 589 (Texas Supreme Court, 2015)
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Texas Attorney General Reports, 2009
Opinion No.
Texas Attorney General Reports, 2005
Kinslow Round-Up Inc. v. City of Seminole
2004 OK 60 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2004)
In Re De-Annexation of Certain Real Property
2004 OK 60 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2004)
Alexander Oil Company v. City of Seguin
825 S.W.2d 434 (Texas Supreme Court, 1992)
Village of Creedmoor v. Frost National Bank
808 S.W.2d 617 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
City of Bridge City v. State Ex Rel. City of Port Arthur
792 S.W.2d 217 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Alexander Oil Co. v. City of Seguin
823 S.W.2d 309 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)
STATE EX REL. DOT v. City of Milford
576 A.2d 618 (Court of Chancery of Delaware, 1989)
Larkins v. City of Denison
683 S.W.2d 754 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1984)
Spr. Hill Util Dist v. Cty of Longview
642 S.W.2d 544 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Superior Oil Co. v. City of Port Arthur
628 S.W.2d 94 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1981)
City of West Orange v. State ex rel. City of Orange
598 S.W.2d 387 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1980)
City of Clute v. City of Lake Jackson
559 S.W.2d 391 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
533 S.W.2d 927, 19 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 204, 1976 Tex. LEXIS 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-wichita-falls-v-state-ex-rel-vogtsberger-tex-1976.