The cities of Bullard and Tyler came to an agreement that will benefit the smaller of the two communities.

After an executive session at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday, Aug. 11, the Tyler City Council approved an inter-local agreement with Bullard regarding extraterritorial jurisdiction boundaries. According to the agreement, The ETJ boundary was established south of Tyler along U.S. Highway 69 in an area where overlap had occurred following annexations by both cities.

“It’s going to benefit us,” said Bullard City Manager Larry Morgan. “We’re going to keep a subdivision valuable to Bullard. We elated”

Defined by state law, an ETC is based on established boundaries and populations. After the population of Tyler exceeded 100,000, its ETC was extended to five miles beyond the city limits, which overlapped the Bullard ETJ. A city the size of Bullard generally is allowed an ETJ of one-half mile from its city limits.

City use the ETJ for possible growth and future planning. Morgan said Bullard and Tyler have been working out an agreement for a few years.

“Home owners bought houses (in the ETJ) with the idea that they were going to be in Bullard,” Morgan said.

He also said he expects the Bullard City Council to approve the agreement at the regular meeting in September.