Steps to incorporate a city
To incorporate a city in Texas, residents must file a petition with the county judge, followed by an election to determine if the community will become a municipality.
Refer to The Texas Local Government Code website for details.
A map of the proposed boundaries also needs to be submitted. The map below is NOT the final map. This is just a rough outline of the area (in pink) to give you an idea of where the boundaries may be.
Petition for incorporation
Residents of the community must initiate the incorporation process by filing a written petition with the county judge. This petition must be signed by at least 10% of the qualified voters in the area.
Application requirements
The application should include: the proposed boundaries of the municipality; the name of the municipality; and a plat of the proposed municipality, which outlines the territory to be used strictly for municipal purposes. It also needs to state which type of municipality that is best for its citizens. Depending on the size, a community can be incorporated as type A, B or C general law municipality. Raywood will be type B or C because of the estimated population ranging from 201 to 4,999 inhabitants.
Election order
Once the petition is verified, the county judge will order an incorporation election. This election will determine whether the community will officially incorporate as a municipality.
Conducting the election
The election must be held at a designated place within the community. If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of incorporation, the county judge will make an official entry in the records, recognizing the community as a municipality.
Finalizing incorporation
After the election, a certified copy of the entry and a plat of the municipality must be recorded in the deed records of the county where the municipality is located.