In the past months, citizens both inside and outside Missouri City have raised questions about the City’s limits and how the postal office assigns addresses. For clarification, certain homeowners who do not live in Missouri City may have a Missouri City address, however, they are not “Show Me City” residents and thus do not receive City services.
There are citizens who live on the border of City limits who receive services from the U.S. Postal Service Office at 1902 Texas Pkwy. and are thus assigned a Missouri City postal code. While these citizens have a Missouri City address, they do not live, pay taxes in, receive municipal services from or vote for elections in Missouri City. The only way addresses in those communities may be changed is if an election is called by the U.S. Postal Service. Conversely, there are Missouri City residents in the Harris County portion of District A who have Houston addresses but actually reside inside Missouri City limits. USPS held an election in the early 1990s and homeowners in the areas that have a Missouri City address but are not within City limits voted to retain a Missouri City address.
“A good rule of thumb for residents living just outside of the City limits is to check the colors of their street signs. All Missouri City streets have red, white and blue street signs. Neighboring municipalities of Houston, Stafford and Sugar Land all have their own unique street sign colors as well,” said City Manager Anthony J. Snipes. “We understand this may be confusing, but encourage anyone with questions to contact our staff at 281.403.8500, as our City Hall professionals are educated on how to assist citizens, both Missouri City residents and not, and provide answers.”
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Earlier in 2017, certain residents of Missouri City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) raised questions regarding annexation. To address residents’ inquiries, City staff has compiled a list of frequently asked questions in relation to this topic:
1. What is an ETJ?
a. An ETJ, or extraterritorial jurisdiction, is the unincorporated area located within three and a half miles of the boundaries of a city with a population of 50,000 to 99,000. Sienna Plantation, Sienna Point, and portions of Riverstone are examples of neighborhoods in Missouri City’s ETJ. A map of Missouri City’s ETJ’s can be viewed on the City’s website: http://bit.ly/2lsbZJh.
2. What is the Sienna Plantation Joint Development Agreement (the “Sienna Agreement”) and when did it go into effect?
a. In 1996, Missouri City entered into the Sienna Agreement with the owners of property to be known as “Sienna Plantation”. As part of the agreement, Missouri City has the right to annex land within Sienna Plantation. Currently, some commercial areas are within Sienna Plantation, but most commercial areas that serve Sienna Plantation are within the City. Most residential areas of Sienna are within Sienna Plantation. Some residential areas, such as certain apartments that serve Sienna Plantation, are within the City limits. By creating this agreement, Missouri City officials ensured that this part of the ETJ was not on the City’s property tax rolls to encourage and spur the area’s residential development. There have been nine amendments to the agreement since it was first signed. As a result of its success, the original boundaries for Sienna Plantation have nearly doubled.
3. What property taxes do Sienna residents pay to the City?
a. Property owners in the ETJ do not pay Missouri City property taxes. Except for services provided, Missouri City also does not receive any percentage of Municipal Utility District (MUD) tax revenue.
b. Most commercial properties that serve Sienna Plantation are in the City.
4. How are fire services provided to Sienna residents?
a. Sienna Plantation has a fire protection agreement with the City of Missouri City wherein the City’s Fire & Rescue Services Department provides services at the same level as those received by City residents. These costs are reimbursed by Sienna MUD No. 1 at actual-cost level. The Sienna Agreement provides for audits to ensure that the City is conducting these services at actual-cost and not for profit.
5. When may Sienna Plantation or parts of Sienna Plantation be annexed into the City?
a. The circumstances in which Sienna Plantation or parts of Sienna Plantation may be annexed into the City include, but are not limited to, the following: in the event 90 percent of a Sienna Plantation MUD has been developed with water, wastewater, and drainage facilities and the developer has been reimbursed by the Sienna MUD in accordance with state law; when land is developed as a major commercial area; and in the event of a bona fide effort to incorporate a municipality that includes any portion of Sienna.
6. What will happen when Sienna is annexed by Missouri City?
a. Any area annexed into the City of Missouri City will pay City taxes, will no longer pay MUD taxes, and will begin receiving City services such as Police, Code Enforcement, and Public Works maintenance of infrastructure. The City intends to consider the financial feasibility of annexing a Sienna MUD before such MUD is annexed into the City.
7. Are all areas in the ETJ subject to the Sienna Agreement?
a. No. Some areas in the ETJ are not subject to the Sienna Agreement. Areas that are not subject to the Sienna Agreement may be annexed in accordance with other applicable agreements and state law (i.e. by petition of the land owner, in accordance with a strategic partnership agreement, etc.).
For updates, please watch the City website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).