WHA Writes Resolutions Supporting Propositions 2, 5, & 8

As we approach the November 5th election the West Houston Association has written letters of support for three individual resolutions that align with our published West Houston 2060 Plan. WHA’s Board of Directors supports propositions 2, 5 & 8 and urges you to support them, too. Be sure to get out at the poll and vote on November 5th!

General obligation bonds are issued with the belief that a municipality will be able to repay its debt obligation through taxation or revenue from projects

Proposition 2

The first resolution is Proposition 2 that provides the Texas Water Development Board $200 million in general obligation bonds for water supply projects in economically distressed areas. As of February 2019, Harris County met income and employment thresholds sufficient to qualify as an Economically Distressed Area. Clean water and waste water are basic necessities for the sustainable future of our region. The creation of those sources of water is a integral part of our West Houston 2060 Plan.

Proposition 5

The second resolution is Proposition 5  which is a constitutional dedication of revenue from the existing sales tax that can only be used on public parks and historic sites. It is to be administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Historical Commission. This proposition will help protect Texas’ natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing, and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes. The League of Women Voters said, “[While] having a dedicated account, a fund used for a specific purpose, eliminates budget flexibility for the Texas Legislature, state and local parks are essential to industries such as fishing, hunting, and tourism that benefit Texas economy. Many parks and historic sites of Texas are decaying, and new parks are needed due to population growth in the state. Proposition 5 would provide a sustainable source of funding for their preservation and new park development so they could be enjoyed in the future”

Proposition 8

The third resolution is Proposition 8, which Senator Brandon Creighton spoke on at our most recent State Issues Forum saying this was, “a necessity for our region to ensure we are prepared for flooding in the future.” Prop 8 will created a permanent state Flood Infrastructure Fund that the Texas Water Development Board would be authorized to use for projects related to flood drainage, mitigation, and control.The Texas State Legislature also passed Senate Bill 7 (SB 7), which would go into effect if voters approve the ballot measure, to implement Proposition 8. SB 7 would provide specifics regarding how the fund can be spent and the process for local governments to receive money from the fund for projects. “The Legislature unanimously passed the measure, placing the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot earlier this year. The fund and the amendment would work in tandem with a set of other bills passed this year to promote regional cooperation on flood mitigation planning,” wrote Texas Tribunes, Chase Karacostas.

The West Houston Association also supports the METRO bond which is a $3.5 billion bond proposition to support the METRONext Plan, a $7 billion regional plan that will provide various investments in regional transit, including a bus rapid transit and other improvements in a West Houston Corridor. This plan aligns with the transportation portion of the West Houston 2060 Plan.

For more resources and information on the ballot visit, Support Texas Parks , Vote Yes Prop 8, League of Women Voters & Texas Elections 2019. WHA strongly urges our friends, members, and neighbors to go out vote on November 5th!

**Italicized text from Ballotpedia.com**