H14. ORD 2025-09-22 — Proposal to add a $1,000 fee for ETJ removal requests
At the September 22, 2025, Princeton City Council meeting, members discussed Agenda Item H14, listed as an amendment to the city’s fee schedule to include a new ETJ Removal Fee. The proposal called for a $1,000 charge for any property owner petitioning to remove land from the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The item was pulled from the consent agenda for separate discussion. After debate, the council approved the amendment without the fee included. They also directed city staff to review the legal authority for such a charge before bringing it back for reconsideration.
A YES vote (on the original version) would have approved charging $1,000 to property owners requesting ETJ removal, placing the cost of processing on the applicant rather than the city. A NO vote rejected that idea, keeping the process free for now and signaling that the city should not impose the fee until it’s proven to be legally and ethically justified.