News from Tomball and Harris & Montgomery counties CITY & COUNTY Harris County authorizes 10% toll rate cut, free EZ tags
HIGHLIGHTS TOMBALL The Tomball City Council approved the creation of a focus group Feb. 6 for the Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan underway. The master plan will include a site analysis of the city’s existing facilities, community engagement to determine residents’ wants and needs, and five- and 10- year plans. The focus group will be made up of community members, business owners and volunteers. HARRIS COUNTY Commissioners opted to use a $9 million general fund surplus to help cover deficits in the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office. Harris County is projected to finish the first quarter of the 2022-23 fiscal year with a surplus despite a tighter budget being adopted by commissioners Sept. 13, according to a Jan. 31 presentation from the Office of Management and Budget. Of the $5.6 million given to the sheriff’s office, $1.5 million will cover the department’s deficit, and $4.1 million will go to hire 120 sheriff patrol positions. For the DA’s office, $1.8 million will cover the department’s deficit, and $2.5 million will be used to hire 30 assistant district attorney positions. Tomball City Council will meet at 6 p.m. March 6 and 20 at 401 Market St., Tomball. 281-351-5484. www.tomballtx.gov Magnolia City Council will meet at 7 p.m. March 14 at 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd., Magnolia. 281-356-2266. www.cityofmagnolia.com will meet at 9:30 a.m. March 7 and 28 at 501 N. Thompson St., Ste. 402, Conroe. 936-756-0571 www.mctx.org Harris County Commissioners Court will meet at 10 a.m. March 14. Montgomery County Commissioners Court Meetings are held virtually and at 1001 Preston St., Ste. 934, Houston. www.harriscountytx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER
BY EMILY LINCKE
EASING THE BURDEN The 10% toll rate discount—which will go into effect by Sept. 4—will apply to motorists driving two-axle vehicles on toll roads managed by the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
HARRIS COUNTY A Harris County Toll Road Authority pro- gram that will reduce the cost of tolls by 10% was approved unanimously by Harris County commissioners Jan. 31. The discount will represent about $90 million in savings per year, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said. “This gives us confidence in what the [Harris County] Toll Road Authority’s doing,” Ramsey said. “When you look at the consistent revenues that they generate, when you look at their ability to cover what they do. I think we are, in many ways, an envy of the state, in terms of how well we run our toll road authority.” The rate reduction will go into effect by Sept. 4 for two-axle vehicles. HCTRA will also provide up to eight free EZ tags per household as part of the program. HCTRA Director Roberto Treviño said drivers can choose to apply the discount on each individual transaction or after aggregating transactions on a monthly basis.
HCTRA toll roads
45
249
99 TOLL
59
290
90
610
10
10
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
90A
45
59
288
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Montgomery County seeks $15.5M from state for active shooter training facility
Commissioners split up $1.1B in bond funds
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
BY EMILY LINCKE
MONTGOMERY COUNTY Commissioners approved a resolution seeking $15.5 million from the Texas Legislature to fund an active shooter training facility in Montgomery County. Commissioners are seeking to formally acquire the former Keefer Crossing Middle School in New Caney and recondition it to support a permanent active shooter training facility that can be used by agencies across the state. The facility has been rented since Oct. 1 and operated jointly by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County
HARRIS COUNTY On Jan. 31, Harris County commissioners unani- mously opted to divide $1.1 billion in bond funding from November propo- sitions for road and parks projects in each precinct. Commissioners voted unani- mously to allocate $175 million of propositions B and C to each county precinct as well as 26.36% of funds to be divided among the four precincts based on the federal government’s Social Vulnerability Index metric. Ten percent of bond funds also go to proj- ect management and administration. Precinct 2 had the highest number of citizens with an SVI over 75.
1485
Training facility
1485
59
494
N
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The county will assume the long-term cost of the facility, which Jason Millsaps, executive director of the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emer- gency Management, estimated to be around $2 million a year.
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TOMBALL - MAGNOLIA EDITION • MARCH 2023
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