Bay Area Edition | October 2022

2022 VOTER GUIDE

Previous bond votes

[The public] had to tighten their belt coming out of the pandemic, ... and I think we should do the same. This is not the time [for a bond election].

Taxes for Harris County residents will continue to go down over the next decade, barring something unforeseen. DANIEL RAMOS,

what was required, the $32 a year would not increase taxes by a cor- responding amount for most tax- payers. He said he believes taxes for residents will continue to decline over the next decade. Ramsey and Cagle both ques- tioned the timing and transparency of the bond. Cagle cited the 23 meet- ings held during the Harris County Flood Control District’s $2.5 billion bond in 2018. “We came to the public with 23 watershed meetings and told them what we were going to spend it on,” Cagle told Community Impact . Outreach for the bond included 24 community meetings. County o- cials also cited higher voter turnout for elections in even-number years— 52.86% voter turnout during the 2018 election compared to 16.72% in 2019. “We’re giving this bond package the full opportunity to be seen and heard by the voters,” Garcia said. Jake Magee contributed to this report.

A higher percentage of voters approved of the county’s 2015 bond than in 2007, which also saw a proposition fail.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

JACK CAGLE, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4 COMMISSIONER

Passed Did not pass 2007 BOND Prop. 1: $190M in road bonds Prop. 2: $95M in park bonds Prop. 3: $195M for central processing and adult detention center Prop. 4: $80M for medical examiner’s forensic center 1 2 3 4 3 4

$630M total proposed

departments about law enforcement facility and training needs. “[The bond does not] address every need that we have, but we also recognize the need to be good stewards of resources and tax dol- lars,” Spencer said. “At the end of the day, we feel like [the bond] does make a signicant appreciable improvement and our ability to pro- tect the community.” Financial impact, timing concerns If approved, the bonds would lead to a tax rate increase of $0.012 per $100 valuation, Ramos said. For a homeowner whose house is valued at $300,000, the bond will cost $32 a year after homestead exemptions. Ramsey and Cagle have expressed

concern about the tax impact on resi- dents with Cagle saying Aug. 2 this is not the time to tax the public. “[The public] had to tighten their belt coming out of the pandemic,” Cagle said. “We should do the same.” Garcia disagreed. “Now is denitely the time to x our roads. Now is denitely the time to prevent ooding. Now is de- nitely the time to provide improved facilities for our rst responders to keep us safe,” Garcia wrote in a statement to Community Impact. “And now is denitely the time to provide clean, safe, and accessible parks for our families, seniors, and children of all ages.” Ramos said because the county has paid o its debt service above

Prop. 5: $70M for family law center $435M approved 5

2015 BOND Prop. 1: $700M

3 4

in road bonds

$848M approved $848M total proposed 1

Prop. 2: $60M

in park bonds

3 Prop. 3: $24M for animal shelter Prop. 4: $64M for ood control 4

For more information, visit communityimpact.com .

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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BAY AREA EDITION • OCTOBER 2022