CITY & COUNTY
News from Missouri City & Sugar Land
QUOTE OF NOTE
Missouri City renames streets due to controversy
Sugar Land City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at 2700 Town Center Blvd. N., Sugar Land. Meetings are livestreamed and in person. 281-275-2900. www.sugarlandtx.gov Missouri City City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City. Meetings are livestreamed and in person. 281-403-8500. www.missouricitytx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER Sugar Land Regional Airport, according to a July 26 news release. In 2021, an aviation- engineering firm highlighted the need for comprehensive runway rehabilitation, according to the release. The expected sources of funding for the estimated $30 million construction project will primarily come from Federal Aviation Agency and Texas Department of Transportation grants. The release states the design phase is anticipated to take NUMBER TO KNOW is the new homestead exemption placed by the Sugar Land City Council to ease property tax burden. 15% HIGHLIGHTS MISSOURI CITY City Council held a special meeting July 17 to delve into the potential annexation of Sienna Municipal Utility District No. 2. In response to concerns raised by Sienna residents, the city released a statement saying residents will gain municipal services, police, fire, public works, code enforcement upon annexation, along with election participation. The city tax rate difference is $0.14 for 2022; residents are exempt from paying it until 2024. The next meeting being held on the topic is a second reading of an ordinance to annex the area on Aug. 21. SUGAR LAND City Council approved a $1.4 million allocation to rehabilitate the runway of the approximately 10 months, with construction slated to commence in 2026. Updates on the project are available on the dedicated website at www.runwayupdate.com “WE SEEK TO PROVIDE CITY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES A LIFE BETTER THAN THEY CAN EVEN IMAGINE.” MICHAEL GOODRUM, SUGAR LAND CITY MANAGER ON PROPOSED BUDGET
BY JOE EDWARDS
VICKSBURG BLVD.
MISSOURI CITY City Council recently approved the name changes of two streets in the Vicksburg Village of Shiloh, a suburban neighborhood southwest of Houston, after residents protested the streets’ original names due to their controversial history. The background The decision came after Rodney Pearson, a resident and community advocate, led a petition drive among fellow property owners to rename Bedford Forrest Drive as Liberty Way Drive and Bedford Forrest Court as Liberty Way Court. The streets in question were named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general during the Civil War who later became the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Pearson’s efforts were met with overwhelming support from his fellow community members. The community joined together to rally behind the initiative to change the street names
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successfully petition for the renaming of streets like Confederate Drive, Confederate Court, and Confederate South Drive to Prosperity Drive, Prosperity Court, and Prosperity South Drive, respectively, throughout 2021 and 2022. Lowering the threshold to 60% for name change petitions demonstrated the council’s receptiveness to the voices of the community, acknowl- edging the need to address historical legacies that perpetuated racial dis- parities and discomfort, Boney said.
to ones that better represent their aspirations and values, according to City Council meeting statements. How it happened Council Member Jeffrey Boney, who represents the area where Vicksburg Village is located, had previously initiated an ordinance amendment in 2020, lowering the threshold for name changes from 90% to 60% consent from property owners on a given street, according to city documents. This change paved the way for other homeowners in the neighborhood to
Sugar Land unveils $353M budget
Sugar Land Animal Shelter seeks partnerships to combat capacity problem
AT CAPACITY The shelter numbers revealed a trend of being over its capacity of 31 dogs. NOTE: DATA FOR JUNE IS UNAVAILABLE
BY JOE EDWARDS
BY JOE EDWARDS
SUGAR LAND City officials presented a proposed budget of $353 million for fiscal year 2023-24, which will begin Oct. 1. The impact To mitigate the impact of an anticipated tax rate increase, Sugar Land raised the homestead exemption to 15% for 2023. This exemption increase will partially counterbalance the expected tax rate rise of approximately $0.035- $0.35 per $100 valuation, necessary to implement voter-approved bond projects, according to a release. Additionally, the rate for residential solid waste services will increase by 99 cents to $20.84 per month starting in January. The proposed capital improvement program for 2024-28 includes $65 million allocated for two 2019 bond projects for 2023-24: the emergency operations center and public safety facilities rehabilitation.
SUGAR LAND At a meeting held July 12, the Sugar Land Animal Advisory Board examined potential partnership opportunities to bolster fundraising efforts and address the issue of the overcapacity local animal shelter. Representatives from the nonprofit All Kind Animal Initia- tive, which is partnered with the city of Abilene, and KC Pet Project were engaged in discussions at the meeting to explore various fundraising avenues. Current situation Animal Services Manager Cindy King shared updates on staffing vacancies, noting multiple posi- tions were successfully filled as of July 10. However, a new vacancy for a veterinary technician recently emerged. An interlocal agreement was exe- cuted between Sugar Land and Fort Bend County to make up for the
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staffing vacancies at the shelter. The agreement facilitated the utilization of a surgical suite managed by a veterinarian who has performed surgeries on a total of 304 animals since the agreement’s finalization April 25, King said. To ensure the welfare of animals within the shelter, a temporary closure of over-the-counter dog intake was enforced starting Jan. 25 due to being overcapacity.
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SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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