Spring - Klein Edition | October 2022

CONTINUED FROM 1

Figuring out the nancial impact

The county’s debt service payments on bonds rose after the 2015 bond passed, but it has dropped since 2018. The tax rate stayed at and has since declined. Bonds are sold incrementally over time and paid o through property taxes.

CONDITIONS IN HARRIS COUNTY

Identifying the need Daniel Ramos, executive director of the Harris County Oce of Management and Budget, described the bond as a “meat-and- potatoes” bond that would improve aging roads and drainage structures, add park space and invest in public safety facilities.

Tax rate (per $100 valuation)

$0.70 $0.65 $0.60 $0.55 $0.50 $0.45 $0.40 $0

+$0.012 if bond passes

$0.62998

County places $1.2B bond on Nov. 8 ballot

Voters approve $848M Harris County bond

ROADS

DRA I NAGE

105,000

588 260

miles of roads considered in poor to failed condition

structures outside the 100-year ood plain ooded during Hurricane Harvey

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022* 2023** Tax year 2016 2017 2020 2021

miles of roads with congested conditions

430

39%

trac-related fatalities per year on average

of roads have sidewalks

*PROPOSED RATE YET TO BE APPROVED **PROJECTED RATE SHOWN ASSUMES NO CHANGE ASIDE FROM BOND IMPACT

Annual cost to average homeowner if bond passes $32

PARKS

PUBLIC SAFETY

[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,

4 new public safety facilities recommended by the Harris County Sheri’s Oce could be funded by bond:

• District 6

4.9 acres of parks per 1,000 people in Harris County 9.9 acres of parks per 1,000 people recommended by National Recreation and Parks Association

substation • 3 training facilities: • Flood and swift- water rescues • Driving

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

JACK CAGLE, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4 COMMISSIONER

• Simulating active- shooter scenarios

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Commissioners placed the bond on the ballot Aug. 19 with Precinct 3 Com- missioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle opposed. But Daniel Ramos, executive director of the Harris County Oce of Manage- ment and Budget, said he believes the county needs to issue a bond because the 2015 bond will be almost fully expended by the end of 2023. “Folks are driving on unsafe … [and] poor-quality roads today. Our public

safety personnel are in substandard facilities today. We have folks that we can take out of the ood plain today. And all of that requires funding,” Ramos said. “At the end of next year, we’re not going to have another fund- ing source to continue to do projects.” The county has not published a list of projects that would use bond fund- ing—something Ramsey has voiced in his opposition to the bond. “I’m not saying you have to have

99% specic projects,” Ramsey said at an Aug. 2 meeting. “But to have no specic projects? To say, ‘Let me have a blank check on roads, ... parks [and] public safety?’ When that’s out there, there’s not specics that you can com- municate with people.” The county did not publish a list for the 2015 bond, according to prior Community Impact reporting. Grant Martin—a political consultant who ran 2012 and 2017 bond campaigns for the

city of Houston—said it is not typical to have set project lists for bonds. “You don’t want to be in a posi- tion where the voters have approved money for [a project that] is impossi- ble to complete,” said Martin, who has also run campaigns for Precinct 1 Com- missioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. However, county ocials have pre- sented some information on how the proposition funds could be spent.

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