Bay Area Edition | September 2022

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BAY AREA EDITION

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 SEPT. 23OCT. 20, 2022

ONLINE AT

Drought, extreme heat ease, but eects could linger across counties

Precipitation deviation from normal (Jan. 1-Sept. 15) HITTING A DRY SPELL

Compared to an average year, Harris and Galveston counties are both experiencing less

rainfall and higher temperatures. SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Houston’s & League City’s average temperatures (June-August) Houston League City

BY JAKE MAGEE

area cities, some of which had to enact drought contingency plans to conserve water. “This drought is extreme,” Jimmy Fowler, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Houston/ Galveston oce, said at the height of the drought. “It’s pretty dry.” While August rains have brought relief, future precipitation could bring another problem, such as oods, which tend to be worse after a drought, said John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas cli- matologist with Texas A&M University. CONTINUED ON 22

Clear Lake and League City are two of many communities across Texas that have been hit with an intense drought and record-breaking heat this summer. Due to a lack of rain and per- sistently high temperatures, Harris and Galveston counties were in a severe or extreme drought in mid- June through August, according to standards set by the U.S. Drought Monitor. As of Sept. 15, area drought conditions were moderate at worst, but at its apex, the drought aected

2022 2011 2009 1998 2022 2020 2019 2018 1980 2011

HARRIS COUNTY

GALVESTON COUNTY

Inches of rain

87 0 84 85 86

-14 -12

-8 -6 -4

+2 +4

-2

Average temperature

New guidelines cause surge in rejected mail-in ballots

MAIL-IN BALLOT rejections spike

Harris and Galveston counties saw an unprecedented spike of rejected mail-in ballots in the March primary elections. The rejections dropped afterward as voters and county ocials adapted to new guidelines from Senate Bill 1.

Harris County

Galveston County

Statewide

5% 10% 15% 20% 0

19.2% 12.4%

BY DANIEL WEEKS

Mail-in ballot rejections greatly increased across the state after Senate Bill 1 went into eect Dec. 2, 2021, jumping from 0.08% mail-in ballots rejected in the 2020 presidential election to 12.4%, or 24,636 ballots, in the March 1 primary elections, according to Texas secretary of state data. In Bay Area counties, Harris County rejected 19.2%,

Percentage of mail-in ballots rejected

12.37%

*2016

*2018

*2020 **March 1, 2022 May 7, 2022 May 24-25, 2022

**FIRST ELECTION HELD FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 1 *INCLUDES ALL ELECTIONS HELD THAT YEAR

SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE, U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

CONTINUED ON 24

TxDOT plans for more electric vehicle charging stations

IMPACTS

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THIS ISSUE

ABOUT US

Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched the rst edition of Community Impact Newspaper in 2005 with three full-time employees covering Round Rock and Pugerville, Texas. Now in 2022, CI is still locally owned. We have expanded to include hundreds of employees, our own software platform and printing facility, and over 30 hyperlocal editions across the state with a circulation more than 2.4 million residential mailboxes.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM PAPAR: Many citizens rely on mail-in ballots during elections for a variety of reasons. With some legislative changes last year, the number of rejected mail-in ballots skyrocketed during the March primary elections. Read more about Senate Bill 1’s impact on voting in Harris and Galveston counties in our front-page story this month. Papar Faircloth, GENERAL MANAGER

Community Impact Newspaper teams include general managers, editors, reporters, graphic designers, sales account executives and sales support, all immersed and invested in the communities they serve. Our mission is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our core values are Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.

FROM JAKE: If you haven’t noticed, it’s been a very hot and dry summer, forcing cities and counties to implement drought plans. While August rains have brought relief, we’re not out of the woods yet. Read our front-page story to learn more about the drought, its consequences and how local governments are responding. Jake Magee, SENIOR EDITOR

Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other.

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MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Papar Faircloth SENIOR EDITOR Jake Magee REPORTER Daniel Weeks GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jesus Verastegui METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Jason Culpepper MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Schaer COPY EDITOR Kasey Salisbury SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Kaitlin Schmidt CORPORATE LEADERSHIP PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER Traci Rodriguez EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Warner CREATIVE DIRECTOR Derek Sullivan VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Tess Coverman CONTACT US

BUSINESS & DINING Local business development news that aects you

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT Regular updates on area projects to keep you in the know

SCHOOL, CITY & COUNTY We attend area meetings to keep you informed

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BAY AREA EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

popular coffee chain sells a variety of cold and hot coffee drinks, smoothies and other frozen drinks, teas, sodas, some baked goods and more. According to the city of League City, the location is not planned to include dine-in seating. www.dutchbros.com 7 Salad And Go is nearing its opening in late summer or early fall at 2590 E. League City Parkway, League City, near the H-E-B. The drive-thru restaurant offers a healthy alternative to other fast-food establishments, selling made- to-order salads, wraps, soups, breakfast burritos and various drinks. Breakfast will be served on weekdays until 10:30 a.m. and on weekends until 11 a.m. www.saladandgo.com 8 Houston’s Sauna & Spa will open in the coming months at 903 Bay Area Blvd., Ste. C, Houston. The owner did not provide an exact opening date. The business will allow customers to enjoy infrared spas, compression therapy, body contouring, facials and other services. 832-915-9297. www.houstonsaunaspa.com 9 Construction on the Kelsey-Seybold Clear Lake Cancer Center at 18833 Gulf Freeway, Webster, is slated to begin in mid-September, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The construction of the 36,309-square- foot facility is expected to be complet- ed by October 2023, and the cost is estimated at $17 million. Kelsey-Seybold is a health care company based in the Houston metro area with 34 locations. www.kelsey-seybold.com 10 Swimming pool retailer Pinch A Pen- ny will open a Clear Lake location by early 2023 at the University Plaza Shopping Center. Located at 2429 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, the 3,000-square-foot business will sell pool and spa chemicals, equip- ment and supplies along with recreation items, such as grills and furniture. Pinch A Penny has nearly 270 locations in the Southeastern United States, including Texas. www.pinchapenny.com RENOVATIONS 11 League City announced Sept. 1 that Helen Hall Library , 100 W. Walker St., League City, has a new look. After a

SPACE CENTER BLVD.

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MOPAC

S. KANSAS AVE.

646

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517

LEAGUE CITY

TODD RD. GALVESTON CHANNEL

NOW OPEN 1 The city of League City on Sept. 3 held a ribbon cutting and open house for its new League City Community Center at 400 S. Kansas Ave., League City. The city converted the old, 30,000-square- foot League City School Building, built in 1938, into a facility that can host community events, including camps. The open house event included tours; mem- ory sharing, including yearbooks from the 1930s and ‘40s; displayed photos and artifacts from the city’s first schools; dancing; and classic cars. 281-554-1000. www.leaguecitytx.gov 2 Main Street Event Center opened in September and is attached to the Living Well Clinical Nutrition Center at 322 E. Main St., League City. The center can seat about 75 people for events such

as parties, bridal and wedding showers, and business meetings. The center will host retreat events for women, church groups and others to recharge and learn about eating healthy. 281-554-8600. www.justlivewell.com 3 Barcenas Mexican Kitchen had a grand opening in August for its new location at 2508 S. Gulf Freeway, Ste. 102, League City. The restaurant also has locations in Friendswood and La Marque. Operating since 1998, Barcenas serves Mexican staples, such as fajitas, enchiladas and tacos. 281-967-7142. www.barcenasmexicanrestaurant.com COMING SOON 4 Nothing Bundt Cakes is expect- ed to open in the fall at 2515 S. Gulf Freeway, Ste. 200, League City. The

bakery offers a variety of bundt cakes, allowing customers to choose from up to ten flavors and over 60 cake designs throughout the year based on seasons. Cake sizes range from 4-10 inches. www.nothingbundtcakes.com 5 Axiom Space leased the closed Fry’s Electronics building at 21300 Gulf Freeway in Webster, planning to use the space to house its engineering opera- tions. The space should support up to 400 employees, according to a presenta- tion from Scott Livingston, the director of economic development for League City. Axiom aims to construct the world’s first commercial space station at the Houston Spaceport. www.axiomspace.com 6 Dutch Bros. Coffee is under construction at 1911 W. League City Parkway, League City, estimated to be completed by the end of 2022. The

Find one in your neighborhood.

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COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE & DANIEL WEEKS

major leak in December 2019 flooded a portion of the library, the city was forced to remodel the library’s first floor. The second floor’s remodeling was finished to match the first with a new ceiling grid, energy-efficient lights, carpet and paint. 281-554-1111. www.leaguecitytx.gov/3146/ helen-hall-library IN THE NEWS 12 In July, the League City Police Department unveiled its new police tribute wall in front of the Public Safety Building at 555 W. Walker St., League City. The monument honors former and current law enforcement personnel. Donations from the League City Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association and local businesses and individuals funded the monument. 281-332-2566. www.leaguecitytx.gov 13 Battleship Texas arrived at the Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp. shipyard at 2920 Todd Road, Galveston, for repairs Aug. 31. The iconic ship that served in both World War I and World War II was in need of $35 million in hull repairs to prevent leaks. The project is organized by the Battleship Texas Foundation, the ship’s operator Valkor Energy Services and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. www.battleshiptexas.org 14 The League City Convention & Vis- itors Bureau , which promotes tourism in the city, was awarded four Destination Excellence Awards at the annual Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau conference Sept. 29. The LCCVB, located at 300 W. Walker St., League City, received first place awards for Destination Marketing Organization of the Year and website design and effec- tiveness. In addition, the LCCVB received second place awards for community and local engagement and leisure tourism marketing. It also received second place awards for community and local engagement and leisure tourism mar- keting. According to a city news release, these awards are juried by a panel of industry experts and aim to recognize “outstanding contributions to desti- nation management.” 281-554-1021. www.visitleaguecity.com

League City Community Center

COURTESY CITY OF LEAGUE CITY

Collins Aerospace held a ribbon-cutting for its Houston Spaceport facility Aug. 31.

JAKE MAGEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

FEATURED IMPACT NOW OPEN Collins Aerospace hosted a ribbon- cutting Aug. 31 for its new engineering facility at the Houston Spaceport. The global aerospace and defense company has developed technology for NASA for decades, including creating the radio Neil Armstrong used to broadcast his words from the moon in 1969 and more recently developing the wheels used to align the James Webb telescope. The new 120,000-square-foot facility at 2555 Atlantis Shuttle St., Houston, will create about 300 jobs and will support the development of a next-generation space suit made for working outside the International Space Station and on the moon. Collins is also developing a universal waste management system— otherwise known as a space toilet—that is being used on the ISS. “It is exciting to be here to celebrate not only the new jobs that this is bringing to Houston, but the continued American leadership in space and the continued leadership of the city of Houston,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said in a speech during the event. Collins Aerospace refers to the suit as the “world’s smallest spacecraft” due to it containing life support components such as oxygen supply, electrical power, hydration and

communication capabilities. “It is an exciting time in the space industry,” Collins Aerospace President Phil Jasper said. The Houston Spaceport is a center for private and commercial space launches and innovation in space technology. Other companies competing with Collins in the production of advanced space technology include Axiom Space and Intuitive Machines, which is working to create the rst commercial lunar lander. Axiom Space aims to construct the world’s rst commercial space station at its new 400,000-square-foot headquarters under construction. “It is through the innovative and creative minds at work here that Houston will continue to make history,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. 281-336-6360. www.collinsaerospace.com

Barcenas Mexican Kitchen

COURTESY BARCENAS MEXICAN KITCHEN

League City Police Department memorial

COURTESY CITY OF LEAGUE CITY

ATLANTIS SHUTTLE ST.

CLEAR LAKE CITY BLVD.

The League City Convention & Visitors Bureau

COURTESY CITY OF LEAGUE CITY

Over 20 years of Dedication. Integrity. Passion. Service. Consistency. Whether you are buying or selling, we look forward to assisting you with every step of the process.

Kimberly Harding, Broker/Owner 281-554-7653 Kimberly@KimberlyHarding.com

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TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

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ONGOING PROJECTS

TxDOT plans for more electric vehicle charging stations To support the growth of electric vehicles, Houston is addressing air quality concerns and long-term fund- ing strategies for electric vehicles and charging stations. Texas has also been allocated $400 million of federal P SEABROOK There are 19,000+ electric vehicles in Harris County. +52% CHARGING THE BAY AREA Charging station Electric vehicle charging stations can be found at more than a dozen locations throughout the Bay Area.

CLEAR CR E

LANDING BLVD.

money, which will be distributed over the next five years, to fund electric vehicle infrastructure. Electric vehicles are in 233 out of Texas’ 254 counties, according to a Texas Department of Transportation plan released this spring. As of July 19, there were over 19,700 electric vehicles registered in Harris County, according to data from Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities and the North Central Texas Council of Governments. However, electric vehicles account for 0.56% of all registered vehicles in Harris County. In Galveston County, there are over 1,219 electric vehicles that make up 0.42% of all vehicles in the county. While electric cars are becoming more accessible, the issue lies with making charging stations more available, said Harry Tenenbaum, director of commercialization and infrastructure at Evolve Houston. The nonprofit works with entities to facilitate installing and developing electric vehicle infrastructure. The nonprofit’s Regional Infra- structure Strategy for Electrification report—or RISE Houston—released in March, said as of September 2021, 1,200 public chargers for electric vehicles are in the Houston area. That amount supports the electric vehicles on the road today, but the projected electric vehicle growth can quickly outnumber the existing chargers, the report said. “The first step is learning more and finding out how many people don’t have access to charge at home,” Tenenbaum said. The federal government and the state have invested in infrastructure to meet the growing demand and improve accessibility. Health effects The Electric Reliability Council of Texas estimates Houston will have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2028, according to TxDOT’s plan. Ebrahim Eslami, a research scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center, said there are 528 2351

in alternative- fuel vehicle ownership

North Landing Boulevard extension The extension will provide an additional crossing of Clear Creek and aims to al- leviate congestion on FM 518. The new roadway would extend Landing Boule- vard and the NASA Bypass to intersect at a roundabout. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said wetland mitigation will take several more months. Timeline: late 2023-early 2026 Cost: $67.1 million Funding source: TxDOT, League City, Webster

CLEAR LAKE

over the past five fiscal years statewide

GALVESTON BAY

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96 President Joe Biden’s administration aims to have 50% of new car sales be electric vehicles by 2030 .

518

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SOURCES: RELIANT ENERGY, DALLAS-FORT WORTH CLEAN CITIES, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WHITE HOUSE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

517

Electric infrastructure Electric vehicle infrastructure requires generating enough power, transmitting energy across the grid and bringing energy through electric chargers, Tenenbaum said. Under the federal Bipartisan Infra- structure Law passed in November, Texas is expected to receive more than $400 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program over the next five years, said Thomas Pommier, senior staff analyst at Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability. This is part of President Joe Biden’s admin- istration’s goal for 50% of new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2030, according to a June White House news release. This year, TxDOT will deploy chargers at 55 new locations around Texas. They will be mostly near interstate highways. Beginning in 2023, an estimated $42 million-$43 million is expected to flow through the Houston-Galveston Area Council to deploy more electric vehicle chargers in the region. “Fortunately, there are a lot of people and a lot of organizations that are not only interested in this, but passionate as well and provide whichever resources they can ... to investigate the impacts of the human health and environmental impacts of transportation,” Tenenbaum said. LEAGUE CITY

between 7 million-10 million cars in Houston, but even if there is a small amount of electrification, there can be an improvement in air quality. “Assuming 100% of [vehicles] are going to be electric by 2040, we need electricity,” he said. “We need the infrastructure for [electric cars] to emerge as the main source of electric production sources.” Although it is unclear how much carbon is reduced if more residents switched to electric vehicles, there would be a decrease in ground-level ozone—a harmful air pollutant that can cause health problems—if more electric vehicles are on the road, Eslami said. “At the end of the day that’s what counts,” he said. “We want to reduce the health impacts.” Health impact results show that increased ozone and particulate mat- ter will lead to 122 premature deaths annually if there are no changes to air quality in the Greater Houston area, according to a December 2019 report from the Center for Transpor- tation, Environment and Commu- nity Health. Eslami said he believes zero emissions from cars is possible. “In the two weeks during [corona- virus] lockdown there were almost no emissions,” Eslami said. “[This] shows the potential of having better air quality in a big city like Houston.”

Hwy. 3, FM 518 improvements League City began land acquisition for a project to improve traffic flow at the Hwy. 3 and FM 518 intersection without any major impacts to nearby businesses. The project includes dual left-turn lanes at the northbound and southbound ends, a southbound right-turn lane and a longer westbound left-turn lane. Timeline: 2024-TBD Cost: $4.14 million Funding source: League City

518

HOBBS RD.

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF SEPT. 1. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT BAYNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Timeline: 2024-TBD Cost: $2.40 million Funding source: League City Winfield Road construction League City will construct Winfield Road, a new I-45 frontage road to pro- vide traffic relief at FM 518 and Hobbs Road. A consultant will provide the city two preliminary routes.

BAY AREA EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022

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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

PARKS & RECREATION

Ocials working to break ground on new Bay Colony Park by 2024

PARK PLANS The design of Bay Colony Park is still underway.

KEY

Fields

Parking

Drop-o point

Drop-o access road

2.5K trail

Primary sidewalk

Secondary sidewalk

BY JAKE MAGEE

spaces as the Chester L. Davis Sportsplex, League City’s other athletic facility, Coleman said. The overow lot is an add alternate, meaning League City City Council may choose to nix it when approving the nal design, he said. The plan includes 10 such add alternates. After the city receives a construction bid for the project, City Council may choose to keep some and remove others due to cost, which was estimated a year ago at $38 million, Parks Director Chien Wei said. The park also would include a pedestrian walk that crosses the vehicle loop at only one spot. The path would allow visitors to walk from eld to eld and would also connect to a playground, an open lawn and other points of interest, Coleman said. TBG Partners is limited when it comes to park design. The 109-acre plot where Bay Colony Park will be built includes a pipeline, right of way for the future site of the Grand Park- way, wetlands and other challenges that limit design, Coleman said. Due to these restraints, TBG Partners proposed building the pedestrian walk along the pipeline because no vertical structures can be built there, he said. Additionally, TBG Partners worked with city ocials to secure a tie-in to Calder Road, which would allow vehicles to enter the park without having to rst enter Ervin Street. The park project will go to bid in the latter half of 2023 and will break ground in 2024.

While it will be a couple years before construction begins on Bay Colony Park, the project is still top of mind for League City ocials. During an Aug. 30 meeting, Blake Coleman with TBG Partners, the consultant designing the park, showed updated schematics for the park to the 4B board, a group of residents respon- sible for allocating sales tax revenue to amateur athletic facilities. “A lot has gone on behind the scenes in regards to dierent parts of the plan moving forward,” Coleman said. According to the schematics, Bay Colony Park, which will be located west of Calder Road and south of Ervin Street, would feature ve baseball elds and four softball elds, which is a response to the ongoing problem the city has faced in which families have noted there are too few such elds in the city. The park would also have soc- cer elds, pickleball courts, concession stands, a pavilion and playgrounds. The park would include a perimeter loop for cars to drive around the ve baseball elds and drop o players. The drop-o points would have shoul- ders for vehicles to move o the main loop and not slow down trac. The loop would be adjacent to two parking areas in the middle of the park for families spending the day at the park, Coleman said. Additionally, there would be an overow parking lot on the east side of the park for particularly busy days. In total, the park would have about the same number of parking

ERVIN ST.

A R K W A

Bay Colony Park will feature ve baseball elds, four softball elds and other sports facilities, such as soccer elds and pickleball courts. The park will tie into Calder Road so motorists on Calder can access the park directly. The park could include a loop around the baseball elds for dropping o players or reaching parking spots.

The pedestrian walk would allow visitors to walk from the south part of the park to the baseball and softball elds to the north. Visitors may be able to park at the main parking lot, near the loop or in the overow lot to the east.

SOURCES: CITY OF LEAGUE CITY, TBG PARTNERS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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BAY AREA EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022

SPACE

Smart People Get Second Opinions

Thousands gathered Sept. 12 at Rice Stadium to celebrate the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s famous speech announcing America’s resolve to land a person on the moon.

JAKE MAGEECOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Ocials celebrate anniversary of moon speech, plan for future space travel

BY JAKE MAGEE

beyond to Mars. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be hard. Some things never change,” Nelson said. “Doing what is hard and achieving what is great— that is what stirs humankind. That’s what unites us.” Nelson admitted NASA and Americans had hoped astronauts would already be on their way to the moon, but Nelson stated his faith in the mission and the team. “We will launch when we are ready, but mark my words: We are going,” he said. “Why? Because it’s in our DNA to explore.” Wyche said Johnson Space Center, which is also celebrating 60 years this year in Clear Lake, has been at the beginning of humankind’s greatest achievements. “The Apollo program captured the world’s attention ... to ignite genera- tions of great achievements, explora- tion and scientic discovery,” she said. The accomplishments of the past and future have one thing in common: science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Wyche stated her desire to enhance high school edu- cation to create a generation prepared to take on a new era of innovation. After putting the rst woman and person of color on the moon through the Artemis program, NASA will build a sustainable presence there, Wyche said. “Then we will use what we learn to take the next giant leap: sending astronauts to Mars,” she said.

On Sept. 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice University Stadium and said the famous words, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Sixty years later, thousands of NASA personnel, elected ocials, students, residents and others gathered at the site of the historic speech at 6100 Main St., Houston, to celebrate what humanity has accomplished in space exploration and what is next. Sept. 10-12 was a weekend of events at the stadium commemorating Kennedy’s “We choose to go to the moon” speech. On Sept. 10-11, attendees could peruse space exploration and industry exhibits and learn about NASA’s missions, including the upcoming Artemis missions that will take humans back to the moon. The event culminated with speeches given Sept. 12 recognizing the anniver- sary of the historic speech. Speakers included NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Rice University faculty and elected ocials. Nelson said Sept. 12, 1962, is one of those rare days when imaginations soared and hearts lled. Kennedy’s famous words inspired a generation, he said, and by 1969, Americans had indeed landed on the moon. Now, NASA is eyeing not only returning to the moon but going

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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

EDUCATION Clear Creek ISD approves final FY 2022-23 budget amid shortfalls

BY DANIEL WEEKS

“In 2021 we continued to add posi- tions not knowing the significant [enrollment] drop that we would have post-pandemic,” Benzaia said. Benzaia said this year’s budget is balanced with a projected transfer of $9.2 million from the district’s capital and contingency funds, which is money reserved to address unforeseen financial issues or items not covered by the general fund, such as vehicles for the district’s new school liaison officers. The FY 2022-23 budget plan is dedicated to using no more than 20% of the capital and contingency funds, Benzaia said. She said the total fund balance is estimated at $61.4 million as of July 31. According to the presentation, this year’s revenue is about $4.5 million less than the FY 2021-22 budgeted revenue, and operating expenses decreased by $4.5 million. The revenue source for the district that saw the largest decrease year over year was from state programs, which decreased from $110 million to $88.7 million, Benzaia said. “We’ve cut our spending even though we are in an inflationary climate,” trustee Jeff Larson said. “We really need the state to do its part. Send the cards and letters to your representatives and state senators because I don’t know how much more blood we can squeeze out of the turnip.”

Clear Creek ISD removed 76.5 teaching positions and transferred money from its contingency fund to make up for budget shortfalls in the fiscal year 2022-23 budget plan. The CCISD board of trustees passed the district’s FY 2022-23 budget at a public hearing Aug. 22, the final step in the budget-setting process. The FY 2022-23 tax rate, which was adopted separately on Sept. 19, was reduced to $1.1146 per $100 of valuation due to a rise in property values. The budget was passed amid shortfalls caused by a drop in student attendance during the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance is estimated to remain unchanged from the previous year, furthering challenges the district faces in the coming years, Chief Financial Officer Alice Benzaia said. Benzaia said during an Aug. 22 presentation that 65.5 core teacher roles were eliminated, along with 4.5 world language cultures teaching positions and 6.5 visual and per- forming arts teaching positions. Six positions were added in the areas of advanced academics, career and technology, early learning, leadership development and special education. The reductions are the first time teaching positions had been elimi- nated since the 2012-13 school year, Benzaia said in the presentation.

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CLEAR CREEK ISD HISTORICAL STAFFING CHANGES

The district removed 76.5 teaching positions this year as the first reductions in staff since the 2012-13 school year, while also adding six new positions.

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SOURCE: ALICE BENZAIA/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

BAY AREA EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022

CITY & COUNTY

News from League City & Harris County

League City City Council races include several contenders

Harris County cuts proposed budget, waits on tax rate

LOWERING THE RATE

The Harris County tax rate is expected to drop $0.01 for fiscal year 2022-23.

BY JAKE MAGEE

are running for Position 2. Cones was the former League City Volun- teer Fire Department fire marshal and assistant fire chief, and he retired this spring. Hank Dugie is the incumbent Position 2 council member. He is not running for re-election after being elected as Galveston County’s treasurer. He won in the Republican primaries in March and is unopposed in the general election. Tom Crews, Chris Dodson and Brian Hanby are running for Position 3. Larry Millican holds the position and announced in July he would resign from City Council, leaving his seat open for the two remaining years of his four-year term. Finally, Ange Mertens, Larissa Ramirez and Sean Saunders are running for Position 7.

$.625

BY RACHEL CARLTON

LEAGUE CITY Most of the League City City Council positions are up for election in November, and some races are uncontested while others have several candidates. Nick Long, mayor pro tem and Position 7 council member, is running for mayor. With no oppo- nents, Long will automatically become mayor. Incumbent Mayor Pat Hallisey is not seeking re-election. Incumbents Andy Mann for Position 1 and Chad Tressler for Position 6 are running uncon- tested for their own seats. During an August council meeting, they thanked residents for trusting them enough to not oppose them. The remaining seats for posi- tions 2, 3 and 7 will be filled by newcomers to council. Tommy Cones and Billy Fregia

HARRIS COUNTY On Sept. 13, Harris County commissioners voted 3-0 to adopt an amended fiscal year 2022-23 budget but delayed a vote on the county’s tax rates until Sept. 27. As the chairs of Precinct 3 Commis- sioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle laid vacant in commissioners court, both com- missioners released email statements at the beginning of the meeting confirming they would not show to vote on the proposed overall tax rate of $0.57508 per $100 valuation—a 1% decrease from the previous fiscal year’s rate of $0.58135. “Now is not the time for local government to take advantage of inflated property appraisals to pay for an expanded govern- ment footprint,” Cagle said in a written statement. “Now is when

$.60

$0.57508

$.575 0

2021-22 2022-23**

Fiscal year

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER *PER $100 PROPERTY VALUATION **TAX RATE NOT YET FINAL

we should be fighting alongside taxpayers to help them dig out from under the rubble.” Without a four-member quorum, the court could not legally vote to adopt a set of tax rates. Instead, the attending commissioners voted 3-0 to adopt the annualized version of the fiscal year 2021-22 bud- get for the county.

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