More than $100 million dollars in property tax revenue was approved by Harris County voters Tuesday night, and it just barely passed.
The Harris County Flood Control Tax Rate approved a 58% tax increase. With a goal of funding maintenance for flood control, it passed by a 51% to 49% margin.
“Our goal is to make sure our channels are in what we call an ‘ever-ready-state,’ so they are always ready for the next storm,” Emily Woodell with the Harris County Flood Control District said.
The average person in Harris County will pay around $60 more per year. However, since rates will increase based on the price of your home, you might end up paying more or less than that estimate.
As part of the program, the funds cannot be used for new projects or new flooding infrastructure. Instead, it will go towards these four areas:
- Repairs and replacements
- Preventative maintenance
- Service Requests
- Forward looking maintenance
“The amount of acreage that has maintained by the flood control has doubled and maintenance dollars have stayed flat,” Woodell explained.
The Flood Control District said that during Hurricane Beryl, they were able to save hundreds of homes from flooding. With the funds from this legislation, they plan to save more.