Vote for Harris County bonds
The Castlewood subdivision in northeast Harris County was one of many neighborhoods blighted by Hurricane Harvey’s torrential rains. One too many floods inundated the shallow drainage ditches and cracked the asphalt streets. The well-kept character of the affordable single-family homes and small businesses frayed.
Five years later, thanks to the $2.5 billion 2018 flood control bond that Harris County voters approved, Castlewood has transformed. The asphalt roads have been replaced with fresh concrete and lowered to improve drainage. Roadside ditches were replaced with sidewalks and curbs, with an underground storm sewer.
This year, county commissioners are asking voters for another $1.2 billion bond, divided into three separate ballot referendums: $900 million for roads, drainage and multimodal transportation; $200 million for parks; and $100 million for public safety facilities. If not for these periodic bonds, projects like the Castlewood improvements would either never happen or languish in the planning process for years until funds became available.
Every six to eight years, the county asks voters to authorize leveraging its strong credit — an AAA rating, according to Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch rating agencies — to issue debt for investments into improving county infrastructure. Some bonds are dedicated to specific types of projects — the 2018 bond that included the Castlewood improvements was put on the ballot after Harvey exposed the dire flood control needs across the county — while previous bonds, such as the 2015 $850 million infrastructure bond, were more broadly defined.
While these bonds typically get approved, many voters may be wondering why the county is once again asking them to go back to the well this year, particularly as each bond comes with a slight increase to their property tax bills. Why not fund projects through a pay-as-you-go model, such as the one that the city of Houston has for roads and drainage projects?
The reason is primarily statutory; even if the county wanted to adopt a pay-as-you-go system, it would require a change to state law. The Texas tax system essentially forces counties to use debt as the primary instrument for capital improvements. And because Harris County has a healthy cash balance and credit rating with a rapidly growing real estate market, it can borrow for cheaper than most jurisdictions.
If voters approve the 2022 bonds, each county precinct will receive a baseline of $220 million worth of funding, though some will receive more based on the “worst-first” criteria the county has adopted to prioritize projects based on the number of people they benefit.
The average homeowner would pay an additional $32 per year in property taxes for the life of the bond program — 25 years — based on estimated 2022 tax values. But voters likely won’t see that large of an increase for years, because the county continues to retire more and more debt each year. For instance, the county is spending $54 million less on debt than it did four years ago and will pay off approximately $193 million of its general obligation debt next year. And as more properties get built every year across the county, the tax burden will be spread out even further.
More importantly, the bond program fills real needs. The $100 million for public safety will help build new substations for sheriff ’s deputies and constables working in substandard, asbestos-riddled facilities and fund additional courtrooms and data systems for court management and crime prevention.
The $900 million infrastructure bond will help repair the nearly 600 miles of Harris County roads categorized as in “poor” or “failed” condition. From that bond, $200 million will go toward partnerships with smaller cities and municipal utility districts that would not otherwise have access to funds for critical road and drainage improvements. Funding would go toward building out bike lanes and bring sidewalks and ramps in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; it would also make Vision Zero investments such as improving turn lanes, crosswalks or reconfiguring busy intersections to reduce deaths from crashes.
Parks investments will decrease next year without a new bond authorization. For residents who want more floodproof or inclusive jewels such as the 29-acre
James Driver Park in Aldine, additional funds will be necessary.
Mobility, drainage and greenspaces are the lifeblood of thriving metropolitan regions. If voters want Harris County to stay competitive and inclusive for residents of all socioeconomic backgrounds and ensure that our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to keep us safe, they should vote yes on the bond referendums this year.