All persons, inhabitants of the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, according to the boundaries and limits of said city as hereinafter set out, and as the same may hereafter be extended by virtue of the provisions of this Charter, or by virtue of the laws of the State of Texas applicable to such matters, now or hereafter to be enacted by the legislature of the State of Texas, be and they are hereby created and organized as a municipal corporation and body politic, and as such subdivision of the State of Texas are incorporated and shall hereafter be known and designated as the City of Fort Worth, with such powers, rights, authority, duties, privileges and obligations as are hereinafter set out and prescribed.
Territory adjoining and contiguous to the corporate limits of the City of Fort Worth may be annexed to the said city in any one of the two (2) several ways herein specified:
(1) In the event that an election to ascertain the sentiment of the persons residing in such territory so seeking annexation be deemed necessary, then the election shall be called and conducted in accordance with state law. Such election may be conducted directly by the city or under contract by election officials in the counties in which the territory is located. The ballot to be used therefor shall contain the words “For Annexation” and “Against Annexation,” and the voter shall mark the ballot as he may be for or against the proposition. Returns of such election shall be made and canvassed in accordance with state law, and in the event it is found that a majority of all the votes cast at such election are favorable to such annexation, then and thereupon the council may by ordinance declare such territory annexed to the City of Fort Worth and an integral part of the same. In the event of annexation, persons residing in such territory shall hereafter be entitled to all the rights and privileges of other citizens of said city and be bound by the laws, ordinances, rules and regulations governing other citizens of said City of Fort Worth; and the council shall have power to agree and obligate itself to the citizenship of such territory so seeking admission to apply to the improvements of streets and public grounds in said territory a portion or all of the funds raised by taxation for street improvement for a given number of years, not to exceed five (5), insofar as the same may be collected from the property situated in said territory, and may also have authority, if in the judgment of said council, it should be just and equitable, to further agree and obligate itself to apply to the improvement of the streets in said territory during said years additional sums not to exceed fifty (50) per cent in any one year of the amount that may be collected for such purpose from the property situated in such territory.
(2) Additions to the territory of the City of Fort Worth may be made pursuant to any laws that may be passed by the Texas Legislature relative to the extension of the corporate limits of cities, and applicable to the City of Fort Worth.
(Ord. 25328-02-2022, § 2, 2-8-2022, approved 5-7-2022)