Howdy WHA Members!
September was a busy month for talking about flooding and finances. Houston Stronger released the Buffalo Bayou Community Plan and has been doing a series of presentations across town. Meanwhile, Harris County voters will decide on a proposed property tax rate increase for the Flood Control District on November 5, which would fund ongoing and future flood mitigation projects. If approved, the tax rate increase will generate an additional $100 million annually to accelerate infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement. In other taxing news, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved an over 8% increase to the county’s property tax rate, the city is thinking about, but has not decided, if Houston will raise its tax rate to help pay for disaster related costs, meanwhile both Democrat and Republic leaders are in opposition to the $4.4 billion HISD bond.
Last month, to a crowd of about 140 people, we held our Connecting Communities forum which focused on the Impact of Toll Road & TxDOT Expansions in Fort Bend. The forum highlighted the region’s rapid growth, driven by infrastructure projects like the Grand Parkway and Westpark Tollway, with panelists discussing how these, and other, projects are enhancing connectivity, supporting economic growth, and addressing challenges such as mobility, freight movement, and sustainable planning, while emphasizing the importance of innovative financing and collaborative efforts to meet future needs.
Next week, on October 9th join us for our annual Public Officials & Awards Reception. This member only event will recognize public and elected officials, award winners, and projects that have made an impact in our region. In addition to recognizing Sustainability Stars and Quality Planned Developments, this will be the first year WHA is recognizing mobility projects.
We also have a handful of committee meetings over the next few weeks. Join us October 2nd for our Flood Control & Drainage Committee, October 8th for our Sustainable Infrastructure Committee which is touring Mandolin Gardens Park – our newest Sustainability Stars recipient, October 10th for our Education & Workforce Committee which is taking a tour of one of Katy ISDs newest high schools to better understand the changing trends of school design, October 15th for our Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Committee, October 17th for our Quality Planned Development Committee, and on October 21st for our Regional Mobility Committee.
Then mark your calendar for November 21st when we are welcoming Houston Council Members Julian Ramirez, Willie Davis, and Twila Carter to join in a conversation moderated by WHA Board Member Harry Masterson. This engaging event, entitled Citywide Vision offers a unique opportunity to explore the priorities, perspectives, and vision of Houston’s new at-large city council members as they reflect upon the city’s most pressing challenges, from water infrastructure and flood mitigation to mobility and economic growth.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you this month and I thank you for being part of the West Houston Association! Your involvement is crucial in driving quality planned development, sustainable infrastructure, and ongoing advancement for our region!