This morning in a special meeting, Harris County Commissioners debated whether to raise taxes BEFORE they had a certified appraisal from the Harris County Appraisal District.
They chose to take no action for the time being.
Request by Budget Director
The first agenda item said, “Request by Budget Management for discussion and determination if the Court would like (1) to proceed with initial consideration of proposed property tax rates based on the July 24th Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) estimate or (2) to take no action and wait to propose rates based on the Certified Appraisal Roll expected from HCAD in late August.
Commissioners Chose Option 2
The commissioners chose option 2, i.e., to take no action. Much of the debate had to do with accuracy. The budget director outlined several different scenarios that called for different levels of tax increases. One even was based on holding the tax rate constant.
But at least one scenario called for a tax increase that would have required voter approval in November. Getting the increase on the ballot, however, would have required making a decision before August 18 and the completion of the certified appraisal.
The agenda item refers to “late August” for the completion of the certified appraisal. Those concerned about a potential tax increase should watch the calendar for the Harris County Commissioners Court.
A portion of the debate and one call-in comment focused on the economic hardships that people are laboring under right now. The owner of a Chinese restaurant downtown said that her business was only 30% of the normal level. She and her family have been in business for more than 50 years. She said that they might not even be able to make their current tax payments and also said that she could not handle an increase.
This argument set the tone for the discussion. Several commissioners frequently eat at the restaurant.
At the end of the day, the commissioners voted not to take any action until they knew exactly what the tax base was. They feared raising the taxes too much or too little.
The County has not yet published the different budget scenarios considered in the meeting.
County Will Fight to Include Non-Citizens in Population Counts
The second agenda item stated: “Request by the County Attorney for authorization to file on behalf of the County friend of the court briefs and join in existing/future litigation that challenges federal efforts to exclude non-citizens in population counts when legislative boundaries are redrawn and to further authorize the County Attorney to engage Special Counsel at no cost to the County.”
A majority of the Court voted to approve this. It means the county will fight to include non-citizens in official census counts. That means, when legislative districts are redrawn (which they are after every census), Texas could wind up with more representatives in Congress rather than less. It also means that the composition of the congressional delegation could shift.
Uncertainty Surrounds Estimates of Non-Citizens
No one knows with certainty at this instant how many non-citizens live in Harris County.
So if the Migration Policy Institute estimate is correct, AND if Harris County is successful, the inclusion of non-citizens won’t be enough to create a new district. However, it will shift some boundaries.
The Texas Secretary of State estimates that as many as 100,000 residents statewide many not have attained citizenship. However, officials are skeptical of the estimates. They are based on the number of people who did not have citizenship when they applied for drivers’ licenses. Many may have attained citizenship after applying for the licenses.
So no one really knows at this point how the inclusion of non-citizens could affect congressional boundaries.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/6/2020
1073 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Agenda-8.6.20.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=17961200adminadmin2020-08-06 13:32:092020-08-06 13:32:21Harris County Commissioners Vote to Take No Action on Raising Taxes at This Time
Under the cover of COVID, Harris County Commissioners will consider a tax increase at a special meeting today.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo conducting Monday’s special meeting.
Tax Increase: #1 on Agenda
Item #1 on the agenda says: Request by Budget Management for discussion and determination if the Court would like (1) to proceed with initial consideration of proposed property tax rates based on the July 24th Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) estimate or (2) to take no action and wait to propose rates based on the Certified Appraisal Roll expected from HCAD in late August.”
If you got a small black and white post card in the mail last week from HarrisPropertyTaxes.org, this is what it was about.
Reapportionment: #2 on Agenda
Item #2 on the agenda also promises to be a lively discussion: Request by the County Attorney for authorization to file on behalf of the County friend of the court briefs and join in existing/future litigation that challenges federal efforts to exclude non-citizens in population counts when legislative boundaries are redrawn and to further authorize the County Attorney to engage Special Counsel at no cost to the County.”
Monday Special Meeting Considered Changing Election Process
This follows on the heels of another special meeting on Monday. That meeting discussed changing the election process to bring it under the influence of politically appointed, not elected officials.
All these changes follow several decisions to replace high-level county employees with considerable experience. One for instance, was in finance.
Major changes are afoot in Harris County. And none of the mainstream media seem to have the bandwidth to cover the story.
So keep your head up.
How to View
To view archived videos of commissioners’ meetings, click here.
To view archived agendas of commissioners’ meetings, click here.
To view meetings live and in progress, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/6/2020
1073 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Hidalgo.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=18081200adminadmin2020-08-06 09:43:262020-08-06 09:43:44Harris County Commissioners to Consider Tax Increase at Special Meeting Today
Houston TranStar has upgraded its mobile app and web site in time for the 2020 Hurricane Season. They now feature more sensors and a wider area of coverage that extends throughout the Houston region. The app shows real-time traffic data and estimates areas of roadway-flooding risk during heavy rainfall.
Houston TranStar shows real-time traffic data with potential trouble spots for roadway flooding.
“Expanding the Roadway Flood Warning System’s footprint into counties adjacent to Harris allows us to warn even more people about potentially dangerous roadway flooding,” said Dinah Massie, Executive Director for Houston TranStar. “Information collected by this highly accurate technology is overlaid on the TranStar Traffic Map and mobile application. We’re warning motorists about flood risk and also helping emergency crews respond more quickly and safely during heavy rainfall.”
125,000 Users
To date, more than 125,000 people get up-to-the-minute roadway flood warning alerts using TranStar’s mobile app.
TranStar’s Roadway Flood Warning System was developed to warn motorists of streets with potentially high water so you can plan alternative routes and avoid dangerous situations.
The system uses a comprehensive network of 283 sensors to estimate areas of roadway flooding risk and can be easily accessed through the TranStar Traffic Map.
Reroute Around Trouble
With the addition of new sensors, Houston TranStar now alerts travelers to areas where roadway flooding risk is high in more places than ever before.
It helps commuters reroute transit plans around trouble spots, such as flooded roadways and underpasses. Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives driving into flood waters that weren’t visible because of darkness or heavy rain.
Increased Capacity to Monitor Water Levels
Harris County Flood Control District, the Brazoria Drainage District, the City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, the Galveston Drainage District, Waller County and the San Jacinto River Authority maintain sensors. The new sensors increase capacity to monitor water levels for possible local street inundation throughout TranStar’s region.
During Harvey, I relied on this system to navigate my way back into Houston from a long, vacation road trip. It works. This free app could save your car and your life.
Bob Rehak
In case you lose track of this story, you can always find the TranStar links under the Governmental tab on this website’s Links page.
Unique Partnership Saves Billions of Tax Dollars
Houston TranStar is a unique partnership of the City of Houston, Harris County, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). They share resources and exchange information under one roof to manage transportation and emergencies.
This 2 minute video shows how the system works and explains how sharing resources has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The annual cost to operate Houston TranStar in 2018 was $25.2 million. Divided into TranStar’s annual benefit of $517 million, the benefit/cost ratio is 20.5. So, for every $1 spent on Houston TranStar, the region realizes a benefit of $20.50. Since its inception 22 years ago, TranStar has saved commuters $6.5 billion in reduced traveler delays and fuel costs.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/5/2020based on a story in the Westchase Wire
1072 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Transtar-Warning-System.jpg?fit=1200%2C976&ssl=19761200adminadmin2020-08-05 12:58:262020-08-05 12:58:38TranStar Enhances Flood Warning System
Harris County Commissioners Vote to Take No Action on Raising Taxes at This Time
This morning in a special meeting, Harris County Commissioners debated whether to raise taxes BEFORE they had a certified appraisal from the Harris County Appraisal District.
Request by Budget Director
The first agenda item said, “Request by Budget Management for discussion and determination if the Court would like (1) to proceed with initial consideration of proposed property tax rates based on the July 24th Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) estimate or (2) to take no action and wait to propose rates based on the Certified Appraisal Roll expected from HCAD in late August.
Commissioners Chose Option 2
The commissioners chose option 2, i.e., to take no action. Much of the debate had to do with accuracy. The budget director outlined several different scenarios that called for different levels of tax increases. One even was based on holding the tax rate constant.
But at least one scenario called for a tax increase that would have required voter approval in November. Getting the increase on the ballot, however, would have required making a decision before August 18 and the completion of the certified appraisal.
The agenda item refers to “late August” for the completion of the certified appraisal. Those concerned about a potential tax increase should watch the calendar for the Harris County Commissioners Court.
Commissioners have scheduled two more meetings for August on the 11th and 25th.
Debate Focused on Economic Hardship
A portion of the debate and one call-in comment focused on the economic hardships that people are laboring under right now. The owner of a Chinese restaurant downtown said that her business was only 30% of the normal level. She and her family have been in business for more than 50 years. She said that they might not even be able to make their current tax payments and also said that she could not handle an increase.
This argument set the tone for the discussion. Several commissioners frequently eat at the restaurant.
At the end of the day, the commissioners voted not to take any action until they knew exactly what the tax base was. They feared raising the taxes too much or too little.
The County has not yet published the different budget scenarios considered in the meeting.
County Will Fight to Include Non-Citizens in Population Counts
The second agenda item stated: “Request by the County Attorney for authorization to file on behalf of the County friend of the court briefs and join in existing/future litigation that challenges federal efforts to exclude non-citizens in population counts when legislative boundaries are redrawn and to further authorize the County Attorney to engage Special Counsel at no cost to the County.”
A majority of the Court voted to approve this. It means the county will fight to include non-citizens in official census counts. That means, when legislative districts are redrawn (which they are after every census), Texas could wind up with more representatives in Congress rather than less. It also means that the composition of the congressional delegation could shift.
Uncertainty Surrounds Estimates of Non-Citizens
No one knows with certainty at this instant how many non-citizens live in Harris County.
The US Census Bureau estimates that 26.1% of the population is foreign born, but makes no estimate of how many foreign-born residents have attained citizenship.
A group called the Migration Policy Institute estimates that 412,000 people in Harris County are unauthorized.
Congressional Districts currently average approximately 711,000 people.
So if the Migration Policy Institute estimate is correct, AND if Harris County is successful, the inclusion of non-citizens won’t be enough to create a new district. However, it will shift some boundaries.
The Texas Secretary of State estimates that as many as 100,000 residents statewide many not have attained citizenship. However, officials are skeptical of the estimates. They are based on the number of people who did not have citizenship when they applied for drivers’ licenses. Many may have attained citizenship after applying for the licenses.
So no one really knows at this point how the inclusion of non-citizens could affect congressional boundaries.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/6/2020
1073 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Harris County Commissioners to Consider Tax Increase at Special Meeting Today
Under the cover of COVID, Harris County Commissioners will consider a tax increase at a special meeting today.
Tax Increase: #1 on Agenda
Item #1 on the agenda says: Request by Budget Management for discussion and determination if the Court would like (1) to proceed with initial consideration of proposed property tax rates based on the July 24th Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) estimate or (2) to take no action and wait to propose rates based on the Certified Appraisal Roll expected from HCAD in late August.”
If you got a small black and white post card in the mail last week from HarrisPropertyTaxes.org, this is what it was about.
Reapportionment: #2 on Agenda
Item #2 on the agenda also promises to be a lively discussion: Request by the County Attorney for authorization to file on behalf of the County friend of the court briefs and join in existing/future litigation that challenges federal efforts to exclude non-citizens in population counts when legislative boundaries are redrawn and to further authorize the County Attorney to engage Special Counsel at no cost to the County.”
Monday Special Meeting Considered Changing Election Process
This follows on the heels of another special meeting on Monday. That meeting discussed changing the election process to bring it under the influence of politically appointed, not elected officials.
All these changes follow several decisions to replace high-level county employees with considerable experience. One for instance, was in finance.
Major changes are afoot in Harris County. And none of the mainstream media seem to have the bandwidth to cover the story.
So keep your head up.
How to View
To view archived videos of commissioners’ meetings, click here.
To view archived agendas of commissioners’ meetings, click here.
To view meetings live and in progress, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/6/2020
1073 Days since Hurricane Harvey
TranStar Enhances Flood Warning System
Houston TranStar has upgraded its mobile app and web site in time for the 2020 Hurricane Season. They now feature more sensors and a wider area of coverage that extends throughout the Houston region. The app shows real-time traffic data and estimates areas of roadway-flooding risk during heavy rainfall.
spots for roadway flooding.
76 More Sensors Than Last Year
Developed in partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute after Hurricane Harvey, TranStar’s Roadway Flood Warning System displays real-time data from 283 weather sensors, an increase of 76 sensors from 2019.
“Expanding the Roadway Flood Warning System’s footprint into counties adjacent to Harris allows us to warn even more people about potentially dangerous roadway flooding,” said Dinah Massie, Executive Director for Houston TranStar. “Information collected by this highly accurate technology is overlaid on the TranStar Traffic Map and mobile application. We’re warning motorists about flood risk and also helping emergency crews respond more quickly and safely during heavy rainfall.”
125,000 Users
To date, more than 125,000 people get up-to-the-minute roadway flood warning alerts using TranStar’s mobile app.
The system uses a comprehensive network of 283 sensors to estimate areas of roadway flooding risk and can be easily accessed through the TranStar Traffic Map.
Reroute Around Trouble
With the addition of new sensors, Houston TranStar now alerts travelers to areas where roadway flooding risk is high in more places than ever before.
It helps commuters reroute transit plans around trouble spots, such as flooded roadways and underpasses. Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives driving into flood waters that weren’t visible because of darkness or heavy rain.
Increased Capacity to Monitor Water Levels
Harris County Flood Control District, the Brazoria Drainage District, the City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, the Galveston Drainage District, Waller County and the San Jacinto River Authority maintain sensors. The new sensors increase capacity to monitor water levels for possible local street inundation throughout TranStar’s region.
Download the Free App
For more information on how to Travel Smart with TranStar, visit HoustonTranStar.org. Or download their Mobile App at the Google Play or Apple App store.
In case you lose track of this story, you can always find the TranStar links under the Governmental tab on this website’s Links page.
Unique Partnership Saves Billions of Tax Dollars
Houston TranStar is a unique partnership of the City of Houston, Harris County, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). They share resources and exchange information under one roof to manage transportation and emergencies.
This 2 minute video shows how the system works and explains how sharing resources has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The annual cost to operate Houston TranStar in 2018 was $25.2 million. Divided into TranStar’s annual benefit of $517 million, the benefit/cost ratio is 20.5. So, for every $1 spent on Houston TranStar, the region realizes a benefit of $20.50. Since its inception 22 years ago, TranStar has saved commuters $6.5 billion in reduced traveler delays and fuel costs.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/5/2020 based on a story in the Westchase Wire
1072 Days after Hurricane Harvey