La Salle County voters will decide whether to enable a Southwest Texas College campus in Cotulla

La Salle County voters are expected to decide in November 2026 whether to annex the county into the Southwest Texas College district, a proposal that could determine whether the college advances plans for a new campus in Cotulla.

The July 15, 2026, report on the ballot development says approval would give Southwest Texas College authority to levy property taxes for construction and related startup expenses for the proposed campus. The vote would therefore affect both the college district’s ability to finance the project and local property owners who could be subject to a future tax levy.

What voters are being asked to approve

The annexation proposal would bring La Salle County into the Southwest Texas College district. If voters approve it, the college could use property-tax financing to help move the Cotulla project forward.

That approval would not, by itself, guarantee that the campus opens. The project would still require later planning, construction and startup steps. A campus opening has been discussed for as early as 2028, but that timing is presented as a possibility rather than a commitment.

The available reporting does not include the precise ballot language, a proposed property-tax rate, an official fiscal analysis or a specific election date in November. As a result, the potential cost to homeowners, renters, farmers, businesses and other property owners cannot be calculated from the approved information.

Potential programs and local effects

College President Hector Gonzales identified energy, construction, truck driving and health care as areas of anticipated workforce demand. Those fields could shape the programs offered at a Cotulla location, although no final program list or enrollment projection is provided.

For local workers, students and employers, the proposal could create access to low-cost vocational and technical training closer to home if the campus is ultimately built. The available information does not establish how many students would enroll, which credentials would be offered or when individual programs might begin.

For voters and taxpayers, the immediate decision is narrower but consequential: whether to authorize the district relationship that would permit Southwest Texas College to pursue property-tax financing for the campus. Until the election occurs, the Cotulla campus remains a proposal, not an approved or guaranteed facility.

What comes next

The next known step is the November 2026 election. The source packet does not identify the final ballot wording or the exact date voters will cast ballots. If annexation passes, subsequent campus planning, construction and startup work would determine whether the possible 2028 opening can be reached.

Residents will need those later details—including the tax rate and fiscal information—to assess the proposal’s practical effect on property owners and local businesses. For now, the confirmed development is that the annexation question is headed to La Salle County voters, with Cotulla identified as the proposed campus site.