Government
BY DANIEL WEEKS
Fort Bend County calls $712.6M mobility bond
The breakdown
Bureau’s annual Population Estimates Program data shows the county had a population of over 889,000 last year, with County Judge KP George projecting the county will hit 1 million in the next few years. “In the past, the county had a position that all we do is maintain roadways, we don’t build new ones. That shifted over the last two decades,” said McCoy, who represents the central and southern Fort Bend County area. Precinct 1—which encompasses the Katy and Fulshear areas—will receive $137.5 million should the bond pass this November. This is $82 million more than it received in the 2017 voter-approved bond.
Katy-area residents could see one of the largest county investments in local transportation projects, including the widening and reconstruction of major thoroughfares, should the county’s mobility bond pass Nov. 7. On Aug. 8, Fort Bend County commissioners voted to call the largest bond referendum in the county’s history. The bond with a $712.6 million mobility proposition and a $153 million parks and facilities proposition will appear on ballots. Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy said the bond’s historic size is reflective of the county’s rapid growth. The U.S. Census
Precinct 1 mobility projects’ costs
Amount the bond will fund: $137.5M Amount needed from other sources: $15M
Total $152.5M
SOURCE: FORT BEND COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
At an Aug. 24 Katy Area Chamber of Commerce event, Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales emphasized the importance of consistent mobility bonds. He said a mobility bond should be consid- ered every three years. “It takes three years to get designs, to acquire the right of way and to relocate utilities before we can even put a shovel in the ground,” he said. Morales said the county has an agreement with local municipalities to split the construction cost of projects in half. The cities of Katy and Fulshear are listed as agency partners in the mobility project list. Future action from the county could also contribute funds to approved mobility projects; the 2023 bond includes $45 million for existing mobility projects in Precinct 1. “It is important that we must continue to push forward on these mobility bonds and so that it improves the quality of life for everyone,” Morales said.
Proposed mobility projects
Funding for various frontage road projects 4 Redbird Lane ($1.15M): Upgrade and improve existing asphalt roadway 5 Pool Hill Road segments 1-3 ($14.85M): Upgrade asphalt road to concrete half boulevard
1 Pin Oak Road ($3.96M): Widen to six lanes 2 Falcon Landing Boulevard & Rowling Oaks Boulevard ($552,000): Widen pavement to create new turn lanes 3 Grand Parkway frontage road projects ($20M):
90
10
99 TOLL
GSLAND BLVD.
1
PIN OAK RD.
1463
Going forward
3
HUNT RD.
The $712.6 million mobility package is the largest in the county’s history but will have no impact on the county’s debt service tax rate, McCoy said.
ROWLING OAKS BLVD.
359
2
5
0% tax rate increase for 2023 bond
1093
34% toward previous mobility bond projects
4
+7.86% property tax revenue year over year from increased values to help pay for bond +$82M additional funds for Precinct 1 compared to 2017 bond
REDBIRD LN.
1093
N
NOTE: THIS MAP IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE AS SOME BROADER PROJECTS DON’T HAVE PRECISE LOCATIONS. PRICES SHOWN REPRESENT THE AMOUNT THE BOND WOULD FUND EACH PROJECT, NOT THE TOTAL PROJECT COST. KATY NORTH EDITION
SOURCE: FORT BEND COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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