Perspective on the Wellborn Issue
The Guiding Principle
My understanding of the implied contract and commitment which undergirds our representative form of government is that council members are required to use their best judgment to act on behalf of the citizens who elected them. This is our moral obligation and the right thing to do. Under this guiding principle, how would citizens of College Station benefit by authorizing Wellborn residents to consider incorporating as a General Law city?
Throughout the past year’s long discussions, Wellborn folks naturally have focused the debate on what is best for them. However, my obligation is to view the issue through a different lens and evaluate what is best for College Station residents. Some do not accept that this guiding principle is appropriate, arguing that those being annexed should be allowed to vote to determine their own preference. When viewed through my College Station lens, I reject that argument for two reasons.
First, potentially this would allow 200-300 Wellborn residents to undertake an action that would adversely impact the 94,000 College Station residents I’m mandated to represent. It would be an abrogation of my responsibility to College Station residents to allow two-tenths of 1 percent of a population I do not represent to dictate future conditions to the 99.8 percent I do represent.
Second, this annexation is not a capricious action by the city council. The rules governing annexation are established by the State of Texas, not by the City of College Station. These rules have been in effect since 1963, although annexation was carried out in Texas cities for many years prior to that date. While they have been modified many times, the principle has remained. This longevity suggests that the people of Texas and their state legislators have determined that cities should have the right to manage their future growth, and that these procedures are appropriate and effective. In short, the city is meticulously following the rules laid down by the Texas Legislature to ensure that no one’s constitutional rights are denied. Indeed, we are actually surpassing these requirements in some instances, e.g. fiscal impact analysis, Planning and Zoning Commission hearings, etc.
Win-Win Possibilities Remain with Wellborn
I’ve always thought of Wellborn as the area around the post office, community center, cemetery and close proximity as seen on the proposed annexation map. This is in contrast to the incorporation map proposed by Citizens for Wellborn. Click here to see both maps.
Citizens for Wellborn does not want Wellborn to be wiped off the map like Shiloh, which is now part of the College Station cemetery. They want it to be preserved with all its proud history and cultural attributes. Wellborn can be preserved because there is an identified Wellborn community which was not the case with Shiloh. There are several ways that the historical identity of Wellborn can be preserved, including historical overlays, forming a homeowners association, or establishing a special Wellborn district. Residents would be able to establish many of their own rules and regulations about what is built and basically set their own zoning regulations.
