NEWS BRIEFS
Enhanced training, protective equipment targets for Fort Bend County grant application
SAFETY FUNDING BREAKDOWN
in state funds was dedicated to law enforcement training and protective equipment in Texas. $53M is the amount Fort Bend County Sheri ’s O ce applied for to address safety. $783,151 was allocated in June from the state to support school safety and mental health initiatives. $105.5M
BY ASIA ARMOUR
o ce to support additional school safety and mental health initiatives through August 2023, including $3 million for local law enforcement agencies to o set travel expenditures for Advanced Law Enforce- ment Rapid Response Training and $50 million for bullet-resistant shields. Elizabeth Signorotti, grant coordinator for the Fort Bend County Sheri ’s O ce, said her department is the third priority for this initiative as Abbott’s o ce “is looking mainly to provide schools and school personnel with bullet-resistant shields.” Signorotti said this grant will only fund equipment with a designation of Level III or higher. Another requirement is that all recipients receive
On Sept. 13, the Fort Bend County Sheri ’s O ce submitted a grant application to Gov. Greg Abbott’s public safety o ce for a portion of the $53 million the state has dedicated to law enforcement active- shooter training and protective equipment. The sheri ’s o ce and all four county precincts’ police programs are vying for $783,151 in grant funds for scal year 2022-23 to provide bullet-re- sistant shields to local law enforcement. This state-sponsored initiative comes after the Uvalde elementary school shooting in May. In June, Abbott and other Texas legislative lead- ership transferred $105.5 million to the public safety
SOURCE: FORT BEND COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
ALERRT, which teaches responders e ective strate- gies to respond to active attack events, according to the o ce of the Texas governor’s website. The application deadline was Sept. 19. The sheri ’s o ce expects a decision within the next two months.
Housing inventory highest in 2 years
Contingent upon election, FBISD board OKs supplemental compensation program
BY GEORGE WIEBE
MARKET UPDATE The Greater Houston area’s real estate market has continued to cool down, experts report.
For the fth straight month, the Houston area’s housing market cooled down as the total number of property sales year over year declined 15.8%, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ August market update. The decline in single-family home sales from 9,918 in August 2021 to 8,241 in August 2022 is a 16.9% year-over-year decrease. The dwindling buyers market led to a signi cant boost in the sin- gle-family home months of inventory to 2.5 months, the highest level in two years. In ationary prices and rising interest rates led consumers to pivot toward the rental market as the median single-family price rose 10.8% year over year, according to
BY HUNTER MARROW
of assessed property value. In the rst year of the program— FY 2022-23—employees who have completed up to four years will receive $500, while employees who have completed ve to nine years would receive $1,000. Starting in year two—FY 2023-24— FBISD will pay out about $100 per year of service to employees who reach milestones of ve, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years and beyond. The rst year of funding comes from FBISD’s remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. The cost in year two and beyond is estimated to be $2.2 million annually and would be funded out of the general fund.
The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees approved a resolution Sept. 19 approving a supplemental compensation program based on eligible employees’ years of service in the district. With the approval, the program provides one-time supplemental payments worth $13.2 million in the rst year. The funding is contingent upon a majority of registered voters approving an upcoming tax rate election slated for the ballot Nov. 8. The board of trustees approved the tax rate election Aug. 22, proposing a $0.0755 tax rate increase and bringing the proposed scal year 2022-23 tax rate to $1.2101 per $100
$341,950 was the median home price in August. 16.9% FEWER HOMES were sold in August 2022 than in August 2021.
SOURCE: HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS COMMUNITY IMPACT
HAR o cials. While the median single-family home value did increase over last August, the price fell from $348,740 in July to $341,950 in August.
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SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
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