City of Tyler Annexes UTHSCT

TYLER – The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved the annexation of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Formerly the area was just north of city limits in Smith County. According to KETK, the annexation covers nearly 600 acres of property.

The process of annexing the campus began in January. “As illustrated in the Industry Growth Initiative plan, the higher education and Healthcare industries are critical components of Tyler’s local economy,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass at that time. “Healthcare provides for more than 25,000 jobs in our region and has an economic impact estimated at $3.1 billion. By annexing the UTHSCT into Tyler city limits, we will be taking an important step in continuing to support and grow these industries.”

The voluntary annexation of the campus was initiated by representatives of UTHSCT and is allowed under the State Annexation Law in the Texas Local Government Code. “We are pleased to see this process move forward,” said UTHSCT President Dr. Kirk Calhoun in January. “We look forward to becoming a part of Tyler not only in name, but as a partner in our city’s future growth and development.”

“This is a major step forward in the growth of our City,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “Healthcare education is so important to maintaining our high levels of medical care in East Texas and equally as valuable in providing jobs.”