Government
Government
BY MELISSA ENAJE
BY WESLEY GARDNER
Klein ISD approves 2% raises despite $36M budget shortfall
Harris County revives nonviolent 911 program Harris County commissioners voted 4-1 on June 4, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ram- sey dissenting on all three votes, to continue and expand a countywide program that aims to use hospital-based interventions for nonemergency 911 calls instead of law enforcement. The details The Holistic Assistance Response Team pro- gram, referred to as HART, was created in March 2022 to improve community health and safety by providing responses to residents experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues, or none- mergency health or social welfare concerns. HART dispatches 911 calls to interdisciplinary, unarmed first responder teams trained in behav- ioral health and on-scene medical assistance. The program was paused in May after commis- sioners failed to reach an agreement on whether
$122M in upgrades planned for jails Harris County commissioners approved on June 4 an estimated $122 million to address some of the most immediate needs through- out various Harris County jail facilities. Two county-appointed jail committees agree with the need to begin working on items expeditiously, including maintenance items related to fire safety, plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The impact Examples of high-cost priority items include: • More than $79 million for additional floors, renovations and upgrades to the facility at 701 N. San Jacinto St., Houston • More than $5 million for a fire sprinkler system at 1200 Baker St., Houston
HART engages underserved residents by linking them to needed services. People served by HART since 2022
Balancing budgets The FY 2024-25 budget marks the second straight year Klein ISD’s expenditures have surpassed revenue.
Klein ISD trustees approved 2% on-average raises for all staff members during the board’s June 10 meeting despite adopting a budget for fiscal year 2024-25 containing a roughly $36 million shortfall. The overview According to budget documents, the district is projecting roughly $698 million in expenditures during FY 2024-25 and approximately $662 million in revenue. Budget documents show the FY 2024-25 budget used a proposed tax rate of $1.0135 per $100 valuation, down roughly 1.8% from last year’s rate of $1.0316 per $100 valuation. With the 2% raise, officials noted starting teach- ers’ salaries will rise from $60,000 in FY 2023-24 to $61,075 in FY 2024-25. A closer look During a May 13 budget workshop, KISD Chief Financial Officer Dan Schaefer pointed to several
factors contributing to the budget shortfall, including a roughly $4.8 million reduction in federal funding and a significant decrease in property tax revenue compared to last year. While projections provided by the Harris Central Appraisal District show property values within KISD’s boundaries rising by roughly 1.47%, officials are expecting a roughly $71.3 million decrease in property tax revenue in FY 2024-25. Officials pointed to several cost-saving measures that are projected to save the district roughly $2.35 million in expenditures next year, including: • Modifications to insurance policies • Changes to the district’s trash pickup schedule • A lower budget for moving temporary buildings Additionally, officials said the district will save roughly $6 million in annual expenses beginning next year due to districtwide rezoning efforts.
Mental health/substance use
172
Housing/shelter
118
Expenses
Revenue
Food assistance
69
$480.81M $469.52M
FY 2020-21
+$11.29M
Other
60
$495.03M $473.21M
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH/COMMUNITY IMPACT
FY 2021-22
+$21.82M
to pay Disaster Emergency Medical Assistance Consulting and Management, the vendor oversee- ing it. At the June meeting, commissioners also voted 4-1 to pay the vendor’s $200,000 invoice and improve the contract’s language to avoid further discrepancies. They also voted 4-1 on a seven-part plan to create an internal county system to oversee the HART program instead of contracting with an outside vendor.
$500.09M $497.82M
FY 2022-23
+$2.27M
$516.19M $541.51M
FY 2023-24
-$25.32M
$515.4M $549.2M
FY 2024-25
-$33.8M
SOURCE: KLEIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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