Below are short answers to frequently asked questions that we have heard from friends and neighbors regarding the upcoming May 4^th disannexation election. We are updating this section of the website as information becomes available and answering your questions here as they are received. You can ask us a question using the volunteer form on the savelostcreek.com website, type your question in the comments section.

For a much more detailed analysis and response to FAQs, please click here to pull up and read or download a PDF version with a lot more information. We have recently updated the larger FAQ page to address specific questions from neighbors. Those areas are marked with “UPDATE” in bold letters.

When Is the Election to Disannex Lost Creek from the City of Austin?

Mark your Calendars!

Election day is Saturday, May 4th. Early Voting is from Monday, April 22nd, through Friday, April 30th.

• Vote YES on City of Austin Proposition A to disannex Lost Creek from the City of Austin.
• Vote YES on Travis County ESD #9s propositions A and B to annex us back into ESD #9s service district – this is the Westlake Fire Department and a necessary step to ensure fire and emergency services.

Who Can Vote in the Election?

According to the recently approved ordinance by the Austin City Council, “only the voters registered in the area (Lost Creek) may vote on the issue of disannexation of that area.”

You must 1) be registered to vote and 2) be registered with an address in Lost Creek.

The last day to register to vote or change address, and still be eligible to vote in the May disannexation election is April 4th, 2024.

For those eligible, April 23^rd, 2024, is the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.

You can go to traviscountytx.gov website to confirm your voter status and register if needed.

Where Do We Vote “Yes” to Disannex from Austin?

Great News! The Travis County Commissioners’ Court met last week (3/26) and approved the locations for the May 4^th election. Travis County has now released their early voting and election day voting locations. All of the locations can be found here.

The closest early voting locations to Lost Creek are the Randalls on Bee Caves and Riverbend Church on 360. The Lost Creek LD building will be an election day location!

To confirm you are eligible to vote and that you can vote on disannexation, go to the Travis County elections website and type in your address to see your sample ballot – it should have both the City of Austin Prop A and ESD #9 propositions on it. Here is a link to the form on their website where you can input your address and get a copy of your ballot. Click here to see a copy of what the sample ballot should look like.

We have been, and continue to update our supporters as information is released, so make sure you are on our email distribution list. Sign up here using the volunteer form at savelostcreek.com. You should also join the LCNA and attend their meetings as they are heavily involved.

*We are still waiting on the City of Austin to update their voting locations, and will update when they do if the information changes.

Are the Lost Creek Limited District and the Lost Creek Neighborhood Association different? And which is a better place to get involved and learn more about Disannexation?

The Lost Creek Neighborhood Association (LCNA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit, run by dedicated volunteers who donate their time and energies for the betterment of Lost Creek. Membership is voluntary and costs most residents $60 annually.

The LCNA has been working to help get answers and provide updates on disannexation to residents, including hiring attorneys who have opened a line of communication with city officials to discuss and get clarification on questions raised by residents. The LCNA board has a fiduciary duty to its membership; the board acts if the members call a vote asking for a particular action.

Aside from the Save Lost Creek website and our email blasts (make sure you’re signed up at savelostcreek.com), the LCNA is a great place to ask questions and get information. We highly recommend you join and get involved.

The Limited District (LD) is a non-voluntary taxing entity comprised of residents elected on an official ballot that funds and oversees the maintenance of Lost Creek’s community areas. Due to a provision within the neighborhood’s Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) with the city, the Limited District is contractually bound to remain neutral on disannexation.

Why Was Lost Creek Annexed by the City of Austin?

The City of Austin annexed Lost Creek to increase its tax base and improve its bond rating, according to city officials cited in news articles at the time. There’s no library, bus stop, etc. Lost Creek residents are being taxed for city services that it does not receive.

Did Lost Creek Want to Be Annexed By The City of Austin?

NO. Lost Creek residents fought annexation for years, going back to 2005. These efforts have ultimately led to this historic vote on May 4^th to return to the service providers that successfully made this neighborhood special for 40 years.

What Obligations Were Required of the City of Austin Upon Annexing Lost Creek?

By Annexing Lost Creek, The City of Austin contractually committed to providing services at the same levels the area was receiving prior, as defined by State Law, including police protection, fire protection, emergency medical services, waste collection, management of water and wastewater facilities (without residents paying for improvements), and maintenance of roads and streets.

What Has Been the Result of Being Annexed for Lost Creek Residents?

The City of Austin has violated every requirement of its contractual agreement with Lost Creek.

Services have been reduced across the board, and costs for those services have increased. See the full FAQ page for a lot more information.

If We Vote to Disannex from the City, Who Will Provide Services?

• Law Enforcement and Road maintenance will become the responsibility of the Travis County, returning the Sheriff’s office to Lost Creek. The sheriff’s office had a substation in the neighborhood and was “always present” according to residents living here prior to annexation.
• ESD#9 [Westlake Fire Department] will provide fire and emergency services to Lost Creek. Westlake Fire responds to 90% of the calls in LC, but under its interlocal agreement with the City of Austin, it is not reimbursed for these calls.
• Travis County will resume road maintenance, they gave us our nice roads to begin with.
• Water service will remain with Austin Water, and rates will remain the same.
• Austin Electric will retain electric service. However, residential customers outside the city limits pay lower rates than customers within the city limits. Therefore, electric costs will go down between 5% and 12%, depending on household consumption.
• Trash service would return to a private company. COA does not own any landfills, so it composts with third parties, including several private trash providers, resulting in reduced costs and increased service.

Once any municipal debt obligation is resolved, residents will no longer be forced to pay City of Austin ad valorem taxes, which increase significantly yearly with no improvement to the services provided.

What Is The Provision About Paying Any Municipal Debt Obligation?

The recently approved ordinance by the Austin City Council said that the Lost Creek area’s pro rata share of indebtedness is $7,772,512.84 and estimated it will take two years to pay off.

That number is much lower than many people thought. It ends up being about $3,200/household. An obligation LC residents would have to pay regardless, and also a safeguard against paying future larger property tax obligations to COA.

The City of Austin has confirmed that Lost Creek residents will not pay additional taxes or surcharges in repayment of these funds. The city will continue to issue property tax bills at the current rates until the debt is paid. The difference is that the collected tax revenue will only go to pay down the debt.

If We Vote To Disannex, What Cost Changes Can We Expect?

Residents can expect to return to better services at a reduced cost, saving between $2,500 – $8,000 per year. Additionally, we will no longer be forced to foot the tab on new bond proposals or projects by the City of Austin, including, for example, the ever-growing Project Connect footprint, which requires an additional 20% property tax increase in the future, which also does not benefit LC residents.

*Note: The savings exceed the obligation payment in the first year past the disannexation obligations. LC residents will save money in 2026 at the latest and then continue into perpetuity. Those savings will only continue to increase as Austin saddles more bond debt on its citizens.

What Happens to the Limited District if We Vote to Disannex?

The short answer is nothing changes. A provision of the passed legislation requires the Limited District (LD) to stay in place and can only be dissolved by a vote of the Limited District board.

However, if we vote to stay in the city, nothing prevents the city from unilaterally dissolving the LD if it chooses to do so when the current agreement ends in December of 2025. If the city decided to do so, they would then take over all the park space in Lost Creek, including the park at the four-way stop, the internal greenbelts, and the lower water crossing.

Voting to disannex is the only way to preserve the LD and local control of our parks.

Join us today to
Save Lost Creek!