The Lost Creek Neighborhood has been annexed by the city of Austin since 2015.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Lost Creek neighborhood has been part of the city of Austin since 2015. It wasn’t a choice made by residents and, in that timeframe, some residents have wanted out of the coupling.
On May 4, votes will be cast on whether the neighborhood will stay within city limits or disannex.
Currently, the neighborhood receives city services – Austin police officers, firefighters and trash collection. But residents claim they’re paying city taxes for services that have not been up to par.
“Our services have gone down, our tax dollars have gone up,” longtime resident Leslie Odom said.
Odom is part of Save Lost Creek PAC, alongside Ryan Brennan. The two have been fighting for disannexation for years and argue since the transition, there has been a lack of patrol and an uptick in crime.
Brennan noted before the annex, the neighborhood used to have a substation through the Travis County Sheriff’s Office that has not been used, and residents have been forced to pay off-duty sheriffs to patrol the area.
“If they were doing the job that they promised that they were going to do, we wouldn’t be where we are,” Brennan said.
Other neighbors – such as Ray Palvic, who has been a resident for a little more than nine years – said the upcoming vote will give people a chance to stir some change.
“I don’t really see any benefit in continuing with what we have in the way of city services,” Palvic said.
In 2021, the fight was taken to the Texas Capitol, but it was killed in the House.
If disannexation is successful, several changes will be made to the neighborhood, including Travis County Sheriff’s Office providing law enforcement and Travis County Emergency Services District No. 9 providing fire response. However, Austin-Travis County EMS will keep emergency services to the area.
“That’s why we’re voting, to see if change will improve the situation here,” Palvic said.
Early voting starts on April 22.