Harris County Flood Control wants a tax hike to fund maintenance work. Voters get to decide.
In the past 25 years, the size of the Harris County Flood Control District's infrastructure system – including Addicks Reservoir, Buffalo Bayou, Cypress Creek, White Oak Bayou and more – has nearly doubled. In that same timeframe, its investments to maintain that system largely have remained flat.
Currently, maintenance spending in the district lags behind capital investments by a ratio of nine to one. Flood Control District leaders hope to change course by asking voters to approve a 1.58-cent property tax rate increase to better fund maintenance projects.
If approved by voters this November, the increase would bring the district's overall rate to 4.9 cents per $100 of assessed value, and generate about $100 million annually in additional revenue, according to district calculations
Called Proposition A, the proposed rate increase would cost the owner of a $300,000 home in Harris County with a homestead exemption an additional $43.
With tax bills already likely to rise for Harris County property owners, Houston Landing spoke with potential voters about the prospect of another hike, and with Flood Control District Director Tina Petersen to better understand how the district would spend this potential revenue increase.
Increased Maintenance FundingThe Flood Control District's current budget — $128 million this past fiscal year — places the district at an average repair, restoration and replacement cycle of 267 years, Petersen said. In other words, it would take 267 years to repair and/or replace the district's entire system under current funding levels.
Best practice, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, is between 50 and 100 years.
In practical terms, Petersen said, the district currently is able to make repairs in "reactive mode, only fixing things when they're about to break or have already broken."
The proposed tax rate increase, Petersen said, would allow the district to remove sediment, repair erosion and replace concrete more quickly.
The district also would create a rapid response team, dedicated to answering resident complaints and calls for service, as well as improve preventive and forward-looking maintenance by planting trees and managing vegetation growth.
The Flood Control District has held nine public meetings since Sept. 30 to answer questions about the proposed tax increase and its maintenance program. Three more are scheduled, including one at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hardy Community Center, 11901 W. Hardy Rd. The final two will be held remotely via Zoom.
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Billy Pierce, director at large of the Libertarian Party of Harris County, attended an Oct. 9 open house held by the district. He was concerned about supporting it, he said, because he was not sure the district was prepared to handle such a significant funding increase. Pierce also expressed frustration that maintenance funding was not included in the district's previously approved 2018 bond initiative.
Petersen explained that bond initiatives, like the one voters passed in 2018, are better suited for capital improvement, or new construction projects where a large sum of money is needed at one time and can be paid back over many years. The $2.5 billion bond referendum was to pay for flood control projects, including the construction of stormwater detention basins, mapping floodplains and improving water flow in existing channels in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Maintenance needs, she said, are ongoing, requiring a steady and sustained funding stream, like tax revenue.
The Flood Control DIstrict has been making arrangements for the proposed tax increase for months, Petersen said. The district has established a dedicated fund to track maintenance spending and analyzed the equipment, facilities and people needed to scale up and deliver additional work.
What if voters say no?Regardless of whether Proposition A passes, the flood control district will continue its maintenance work, Petersen said.
Should voters reject the proposition, the district would shift its focus to prioritization – how much funding could the district, which already has a maintenance backlog, dedicate to addressing issues it identifies.
"We need that continued investment to make sure that our channels stay ready for the next storm and the next disaster," Petersen said.
Nina Liddi, a northwest Harris County homeowner attending one of the district's open houses, said she likely would support the proposition this November. She compared it to choosing between the lesser of two evils.
As much as no one likes a tax rate (increase), what I like even less is a flooded house," Liddi said. "So, I can see that there's a need for maintenance, and I've seen that with my own eyes."
More information on Proposition A is available at hcfcd.org/propA .
Early voting begins Monday. Election Day is Nov. 5.
The Harris County Flood Control District is a financial sponsor of Houston Landing's 2024 election guide. The District had no influence on decisions related to the reporting and publishing of this . The Landing's ethics policy and list of financial supporters are available online.
