Harris County voters consider Proposition A to pay for maintenance of flood projects

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County voters are deciding on more than political races. They're also debating whether to spend more to reduce flooding.

After Hurricane Harvey, voters approved raising more than $2 billion on projects to reduce flooding. The problem now is that the flood control district has too many tools and not enough ways to keep them sharp.

"We have taken on more, and more responsibility," Harris County Flood Control District executive director Tina Peterson explained. "Over the last 25 years, the amount of property we are responsible for has more than doubled."

To raise maintenance money, the flood control district wants voters to approve higher property taxes. It comes at a time when neighbors will already be paying more.

The commissioners court raised taxes by eight percent. For the average homeowner, that's $160 more per year.

For the flood control prop A, the average homeowner would pay $60 more per year. That's $220 more.

Higher bills were discussed during a meeting with voters on Wednesday. One person raised this concern.

"How can Harris County residents be certain that this tax increase won't be used for other county projects?" one neighbor asked.

The agency said a new fund was created to make sure that doesn't happen.

"What this means is there is a special restrictive fund that we would be depositing all of the, if approved, all of the additional maintenance revenue would go into that account," Harris County Chief Finance & Administration officer Bruce Haupt explained.

The flood control district is asking neighbors to spend more money while it's still working on the bond approved after Hurricane Harvey.

So far, about 40 areas have been completed. There are still about 140 to go, including this mitigation project in Kingwood.

"Progress takes time," Peterson said. "The processes that we have to work through are not fast, and we are anxiously driving as fast as we can to get work done."

If approved, the higher taxes would bring about $100 million more per year for maintenance. Eyewitness News asked leaders how much more maintenance that would allow them to do.

They told ABC13 that they can only upkeep projects once every 270 years. With the extra money, it would allow them to perform maintenance once every 67 years.

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