City Reaches ETJ Agreement with Lindale

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has voted unanimously to accept an agreement with the City of Lindale that will establish Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) boundaries for both communities. Due to annexations by both cities, their extraterritorial jurisdictions have reached each other. Officials say representatives of both cities have had discussions and arrived at an exchange of extraterritorial jurisdiction area resulting in a north boundary for Tyler and south boundary line for Lindale. Officials say that’s in order to provide for orderly development — particularly along the I-20, Loop 49, and U.S. Highway 69 corridors — and to provide for a mutually agreeable settlement. “We have been working with our neighboring communities to ensure there is agreement on where the ETJ is for each of us,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass (pictured). “We want to work together to do what is best for the region.”

A community’s ETJ is typically established by the number of residents in a community. Tyler’s current ETJ extends five miles while Lindale’s is one mile from the city limit line; as annexations occur, the city limit line moves, which results in a community’s ETJ also extending. An ETJ is considered a future planning area and is an anticipated area of growth for a community. “As both of our cities grow, we will need to work together,” said Lindale City Manager Owen Scott. “The agreement we have reached is in the best interests of both communities.”