CITY& COUNTY
News from Harris County & Jersey Village
QUOTEOFNOTE “WE BELIEVE THAT WEWOULD’VE SEEN HIGHERNUMBERS OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IF NOT FOR THE VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY COVID HOUSING PROGRAM .” MICHAEL NICHOLS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS JERSEYVILLAGE&HARRIS COUNTY ESDNO. 9 As he undergoes treatment for cancer, 10-year-old Houston-area resident Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel was sworn in as the rst-ever honorary assistant chief of the Jersey Village Police Department on March 21, followed by being named honorary commissioner for Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 on March 24. Daniel’s goal is to be sworn into as many law Jersey Village City Council Will meet at 7 p.m. April 18 at 16327 Lakeview Drive, Jersey Village. 713-466-2100. www.jerseyvillagetx.com Harris County Commissioners Court Will meet at 10 a.m. April 5 at 1001 Preston St., Ste. 934, Houston. 713-274-1111. www.harriscountytx.gov MEETINGSWE COVER enforcement agencies as possible to raise awareness of childhood cancer and to honor the legacy of Abigail Arias, a 7-year-old who dreamed of working in law enforcement before dying from cancer complications, o cials said.
Report shows Harris County bail reform not contributing to area crime increase
RESIDENTIAL REALITY With a 1.4-month supply of homes on the market, home prices are rising. SOURCES: HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER $0 0 $100K 50K $200K 100K $300K 150K $400K Average home price Homes sold +16% +10% 2020 2021
BY MIKAH BOYD
in jail until their cases were resolved because of their inability to post bail. Jails were thus crowded with those arrested for misdemeanors, resulting in the need for more taxpayer dollars to detain these arrestees as well as those who had committed more serious crimes. Despite the misdemeanor bail reform’s reported positive e ect on the community, there have been public claims of the reform leading to an increase in homicides. While o - cials said there has been an increase in homicides in Harris County, the report presented by the monitors found no correlation between the misdemeanor bail reform and the increase in homicides. The report did not address felonies. The number of misdemeanor arrestees who had new charges led against them within one year has steadily declined. The report stated that number was 11,888 persons in 2015 and 8,647 persons in 2020.
HARRIS COUNTY The Harris County Justice Administration Department reported recent bail reforms for those who have commit- ted misdemeanors have positively a ected the community, according to a March 16 news release. Independent monitors led by Duke University professor Brandon Garrett presented these ndings to the Harris County Commissioners Court. He and his team reported the reforms have saved taxpayers more than $6 million per year, resulted in a decline in recidivism numbers and eliminated disparities among those who are unable to pay the cash bond for pretrial release, according to the release. These socioeconomic disparities were increasingly prevalent before the implementation of increased pro- tections for arrestees in impoverished communities, o cials said. Previously, detainees were held
Home appraisals jump 21% in 2022
BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
HARRIS COUNTY Driven by a red-hot real estate market and rising sales prices of single-family homes, residential property values in Harris County are expected to rise by around 15%-30% when notices are sent out this spring, according to the Harris County Appraisal District. Most residential property value increases will be higher than 20%; home values overall increased by 21% this year, the HCAD reported. “In my almost 40 years in the real estate business, I have never, ever seen such large increases in market values,” Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger said in a statement. Commercial property values are also on the rise, increasing 18% overall, according to the HCAD. Apartment buildings saw the highest increase among commercial property types with value increases averaging 24% across the sector. Property owners who receive their notices may begin the protest process immediately.
County’s elections administrator steps down
BY DANICA LLOYD
statutory deadline to report votes, Harris County election clerks testi ed about voting machine failures, voters being turned away due to a lack of poll workers,
HARRIS COUNTY Following several issues in the March 1 primary elections, Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria announced her resignation, e ective July 1, at the March 8 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting. A motion to re Longoria before her resignation takes e ect failed in a split vote March 22. In addition to missing the
Isabel Longoria
a shortage of election judges and inadequate training for judges.
LUNCH & LEARN Health Series You’re invited to Park Creek for a special series focused on health and wellness. Hear from the experts at MD Anderson on how to look for signs of skin cancer. Join us for a delicious meal and get a taste of our active, independent senior lifestyle. HOW TO SPOT SKIN CANCER | Tuesday, April 19 | 11:30 a.m.
Space is limited so RSVP by calling 281-205-4939 or contact us for information about attending virtually.
Our community is following recommended protocols to prevent viral spread including social distancing for group activities and masks are required.
16718 Huffmeister Road | Cypress, TX 77429 | ParkCreekActiveLiving.com
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CY FAIR EDITION • APRIL 2022
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