Locals back flood fixes

Fewer than half willing to pay for them, survey finds

Houston area residents overwhelmingly support construction of a third west side reservoir, buyouts of vulnerable homes and other steps to protect lives and property from floods — yet slightly fewer than half are willing to pay for such measures through higher taxes, according to a survey released Monday.

Lopsided majorities of those surveyed expressed support for almost all the ideas state and local officials are discussing, including stricter building codes and development rules, to limit the effects of increasingly frequent and intense floods.

And with the pain inflicted by Harvey still fresh in the public’s mind, 46 percent said they would be willing to pay higher property taxes for protection measures. The prospect of higher sales taxes drew support from 45 percent.

Support for higher taxes varied based on hypothetical amounts. The survey found that 19 percent would pay $12 more in property tax each year; 12 percent would pay $25 more; 15 percent would pay an extra $50. But 46 percent were unwilling to pay any additional tax. Eight percent didn’t respond.

Researchers intend to repeat the survey periodically with the same respondents over five years. Harris County officials planning a bond election this year should consider the likelihood that enthusiasm for costly flood-control initiatives is likely to diminish over time, said Jim Granato, the executive director of the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs, which directed the survey.

“They’re on the clock,” Granato said. “The faster they get this done, the better.”

The Hobby Center, with help from Rice University political scientists, conducted the telephone survey of 2,002 residents of Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Montgomery counties in November and December. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

The survey covered topics including where respondents got information as Harvey approached, who they turned to for help, whether and how they evacuated, how the storm affected their lives, and their views about protecting the region from future floods.

The results regarding specific flood-control policies and how to pay for them were limited to respondents in Harris County, since leaders of the other three counties are not considering bond elections.

‘Like a bomb had dropped’

County Judge Ed Emmett, who is leading the planning for the bond election, could not be reached for comment Sunday. His spokesman, Joe Stinebaker, said Emmett believes voters will support funding for flood-control projects if they are given specific information about the costs and benefits.

“I don’t make public policy based on surveys,” Stinebaker quoted Emmett as saying.

Some of the findings of the Hobby Center survey are similar to those of a December survey by the Houston-based Episcopal Health Foundation, which covered 24 Texas counties affected by Harvey.

For example, 57 percent of respondents to the Hobby Center survey said they had experienced economic harm such as lost wages or unplanned expenses — greater than the share reporting flood damage to their homes (40 percent) or loss of power (47 percent.)

In the Episcopal Health Foundation survey, 46 percent reported loss of income or employment.

Granato said many households felt economic effects from Harvey because businesses that employ hourly wage-earners — restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores — were closed for days or weeks after the rain stopped.

“You couldn’t do any business,” Granato said. “It was like a bomb had dropped in the city.” Among the other findings:

Fueling vehicles (75 percent) • and buying extra food (71 percent) were the most commonly reported preparations as Harvey approached. Only 40 percent removed household items from areas that might flood, and just 5 percent bought a generator.

More respondents (61 percent) • reported providing help to

friends or neighbors than receiving it (33 percent).

Only 19 percent of respondents • evacuated; 4 percent tried to leave but returned home. Most of those who evacuated, or tried to, did so after Harvey struck.

Three-quarters of respondents • said they had not sought assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Television news websites • (48 percent) and The Weather Channel (45 percent) were the most commonly cited sources that respondents consulted “a great deal” for information about preparation for and response to Harvey.

Among policy proposals, requiring • home sellers to fully disclose prior flood damage drew the highest level of support (89 percent), followed by requiring elevation of homes in flood-prone areas (86 percent) and building a third west Houston reservoir (85 percent).

Ethnic, partisan divides

Bob Stein, a Rice University political science professor who worked with the survey team, noted significant ethnic and partisan differences in the respondents’ willingness to pay higher taxes for flood-control infrastructure.

For example, 46 percent of Anglo Republicans, compared to 20 percent of Anglo Democrats, opposed any property tax increase. And many state Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, are pressing for property tax reductions.

“The governor has made it very clear he does not want to see property taxes go up,” Stein said.

While the nation admired the image of united Houston area residents volunteering to help their neighbors recover from Harvey, Stein said, political differences are likely to become more apparent as state and local leaders debate solutions.

“The partisan split on this is as much as you would expect in an environment that is heavily polarized,” he said.