9/4/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) issued an update on its maintenance activity to Commissioners Court in a transmittal on 8/26/25. Without explaining exactly where (geographically) the money went, the 7-page overview details HCFCD’s increase in activity enabled by its November 2024 “Proposition A” maintenance tax.
The tax provides another $100 million annually dedicated to maintenance. See some of the highlights below.
Developing a Sustainable Infrastructure Practices Program
Scaling maintenance programs while addressing a Deferred Maintenance Backlog and expanding Citizen Services
Developing an Asset Management Program
It hopes to meet citizen’s maintenance expectations by Fiscal Year 2028.
Since the start of their “Major Repair and Replace” program, HCFCD has designed 65 projects, constructed 10, and completed two.
The number of “Moderate Repair and Replace” projects handled through “on-call contracts” increased from 3 to 11 so far this year. Spending on that program has nearly tripled from $2.7 million to $7.8 million.
New Equipment
HCFCD purchased $17 million of new equipment, including excavators, dozers, vehicles and chainsaws. The District has yet to take delivery of all the equipment but says, “This investment strengthens both preventive maintenance and repair efforts, allowing crews to work more efficiently and respond quickly to emerging needs.”
The District hopes to receive most of the equipment in Fiscal Year 2026.
Desilting Has Largest Percentage Increase, But…
In addition, HCFCD’s channel desilting efforts increased by 117%. Out of 2500 miles of channels in 23 watersheds, HCFCD went from desilting a total of 24.6 miles of channels to 53.5 miles. That’s a little more than 2% of the total mileage. But it is double the previous 1%.
The update does not address needed maintenance intervals. I hope that number increases. At that rate, it will take half a century before crews return to your channel.
Recruiting Challenge
Finding employees, especially equipment operators, to scale up operations has been challenging. Of the 54 new hires authorized by Commissioners Court, 22 positions have been filled and 11 offers are pending. “Recruiting has been challenging,” says the update. 24 job offers had to be withdrawn for various reasons.
Fast-Action Funding Grows by $330,000
Funding for HCFCD’s Fast Action Service Teams, which handle community concerns such as debris and fallen trees that block channels, has already increased from $1.04 million per year to $1.36 million per year.
New Computer System
To help run its Asset Management program, HCFCD is digitizing its computer systems and assets. The District hopes to complete and deploy a new Computerized Maintenance Management System by the end of 2026.
Consultant Search
HCFCD also is seeking a consultant to help scale its maintenance programs and address the backlog of deferred work. It hopes to conclude the review process, which started in May, by early Fall 2025.
Looking Ahead
HCFCD’s report concludes with these encouraging words. “The progress outlined in this report demonstrates the tangible benefits of sustained investment in maintenance and the significant return Proposition A has delivered for Harris County residents.”
“By combining new funding with strategic scaling of staff, equipment, and operational practices, the Flood Control District is rapidly addressing decades of deferred maintenance while laying the foundation for a proactive, resilient system.”
“As the Maintenance Matters program continues to grow, the Flood Control District remains committed to transparency, accountability, and community partnership. FY2026 will mark another year of historic investment, ensuring that Harris County’s flood risk reduction infrastructure is not only restored and maintained, but strengthened to serve future generations.”
For More Information or to File a Maintenance Request…
9/3/25 – A new study by City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins found that Houston is underprepared for disasters. FEMA ranks Harris County #1 nationally for hurricane risk. However, Houston has roughly half the disaster reserves of other cities studied and half the amount recommended by Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practices.
It reviews the City’s disaster reserve funding policies and economic vulnerabilities that limit flexibility in disasters.
It also proposes strategies to make Houston more financially prepared for future disasters.
Houston Has History of Disasters
Houston has faced 25 FEMA-declared disasters since 1983 with frequency rising sharply during the last decade.
From Page 8
FEMA gives Houston/Harris County and Miami/Dade County the highest possible hurricane risk scores – a perfect 100. The scores reflect expected losses, social vulnerability and community resilience.
In recent years, this area exxperienced the second and tenth costliest storms in U.S. history (Harvey and Ike).
Economic Vulnerabilities
The report next looks at the causes of Houston’s economic vulnerability. They include:
Structural budget deficits
Property tax cap
Sales tax volatility
Public safety costs
State legislative policies
After a temporary boost from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) during Covid, Houston’s disaster fund will experience some of the sharpest declines in history.
From Page 11
A number of state and local laws, such as property tax caps, limit Houston’s revenue. Police, fire and debt consume 75% of the City’s budget, leaving little flexibility.
Disaster Reserve Funding
In 2024, the City’s disaster reserve fund peaked at a record high – $385 million above the minimum mandated by policy. However, that surplus has been drawn down to close budget gaps.
From Page 16
At present, Houston’s reserves lag behind peer cities and recommended best practices. The target as a percent of the total general fund in:
Houston is 8-9%
Dallas 19-20%
San Antonio 15-16%
Miami 20%
GFOA Best Practices 16.7%+
Recommended Policy Changes
The report recommends:
Raising the minimum fund balance to strengthen reserves
Raising the allocation percentage to strengthen the City’s safety net
Allocating excesses above the minimum to create a consistent funding mechanism
Clawing back dollars not dedicated to grow reserves without raising taxes
Separating economic and disaster uses for special funds to preserve disaster funds during economic downturns.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/3/25
2927 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Fund-Balance.png?fit=1786%2C976&ssl=19761786adminadmin2025-09-03 21:13:162025-09-03 21:16:15City Controller Finds Houston Underprepared for Disasters
9/2/2025 – The following is reprinted from Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s newsletter. It relates to the purchase of backup generators to keep critical city facilities such as sewage treatment plants, running when power goes out during storms. This issue has plagued the Lake Houston Area. Some of the money below will still go toward generators, just not as much.
“In August, City Council approved the submission of a plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for how the City will allocate nearly $315 million in federal disaster recovery funds from the Derecho storm and Hurricane Beryl last year. Council Members Huffman, Peck, and I co-authored a joint op-ed explaining our vote against the proposed plan. We submitted this to the Houston Chronicle for publishing, but they refused to do so. You can read what we wrote below:
Why We Voted Against the $100 Million Home Repair Amendment
As Houston City Council Members, our responsibility is to make decisions that improve the quality of life and safety of Houstonians in the most responsible and fiscally prudent way possible. That’s why, when faced with a $315 million disaster recovery action plan, we could not support an amendment that would have redirected $50 million away from critical disaster recovery tools and into additional home repair funding.
The amendment proposed raising home repair funding from $50 million to $100 million, split evenly between single-family and multi-family homes. While the intention was noble, the extra dollars would have come from the budget set aside for generators at essential city facilities. These generators power community centers, sewage lift stations, and police and fire stations—places that become lifelines when disaster strikes.
We are deeply sympathetic to Houstonians whose homes were damaged by storms. But we voted no for three key reasons:
Generators Are Vital for Disaster Recovery
When the power goes out, safety risks increase dramatically. Community centers must be able to provide shelter, and first responders need reliable facilities to do their jobs. We must continue to make sure that our water and wastewater plants have electricity to provide these services as well.
A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs survey found that 88% of registered voters in Harris County are concerned about outages lasting more than a day this summer. That is not an abstract fear—it is based on lived experience. For the first time, we have an opportunity to obtain generators, and cutting the funding jeopardizes public safety at the very moment Houstonians need it most.
The Home Repair Program is Inefficient
Currently, the program doesn’t just fix storm damage—it often rebuilds entire homes. Instead of only fixing storm damage, the City pays for repairs needed in the rest of the house, whether the damage was due to a storm or not. What might begin as a small roof repair can become a complete home rebuild. This drives the average cost per home to about $200,000, per Mayor Whitmire’s office.
For $50 million in single family home repairs, that would mean that we are only able to assist approximately 250 homes. In a city of 2.3 million people, while incredibly impactful to the small number of people receiving the benefit, it is negligible for the rest of the population. With smarter policies, we could stretch these dollars further and help more people. Until those changes are made, pouring in more money only perpetuates inefficiency.
Furthermore, the multi-family housing aspect of this program is even more problematic. Multi-family housing essentially means apartment complexes. While we must make sure that people have safe places to live, apartment complexes are businesses that almost without exception should have had insurance for protection.
Businesses are crucial to our economy, and apartments are no exception; however, paying to essentially remodel an apartment complex with this money does not help prepare anyone for future storms.
The Actual Need is Unclear
Damage estimates are made immediately after storms, but we are now more than a year out from the derecho and Hurricane Beryl. Many homeowners and multi-family owners have already completed repairs. Based on past storm data, the final need may be much lower than $100 million.
The City of Houston still has $40 million in home repair funding from Winter Storm Uri that Houstonians can access for home damages that must be addressed as well. Scaling up to manage a program of this size could require additional staff and new systems—raising the risk of falling short on federal requirements and jeopardizing future HUD funding.
We have already seen this exact scenario play out in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Although we know Mayor Whitmire and his administration will handle this process with care and accuracy, we do not know yet the scale on which we would need to increase this program in order meet the demands.
We continue to support Mayor Whitmire’s commitment towards disaster recovery and response, and he and his team have done a phenomenal job in recent storms to make sure that Houstonians were cared for. He faced a difficult task in shaping this action plan, and we commend him for listening to residents who called for home repair assistance.
His decision to shift $50 million toward repairs—when the original plan had none—was a fair and thoughtful compromise. At this stage, however, $100 million does not advance our goal of preparing Houston for disasters. Given the choice of repairing 250 homes and an indeterminable number of private apartment complexes versus addressing needs for 2.3 million people, we chose the latter.
We remain committed to supporting Houstonians in times of crisis. But we must do it in a way that is sustainable, efficient, and does not undermine other critical recovery tools.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/2/25 based on CoH Council Member Flickinger’s September Newsletter
2926 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/COH-CM-Fred-Flickinger-at-KWCC.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-09-02 19:30:212025-09-02 19:50:17Flickinger Explains Vote on Disaster-Recovery Funds
HCFCD Issues Maintenance Update after Tax Increase
9/4/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) issued an update on its maintenance activity to Commissioners Court in a transmittal on 8/26/25. Without explaining exactly where (geographically) the money went, the 7-page overview details HCFCD’s increase in activity enabled by its November 2024 “Proposition A” maintenance tax.
The tax provides another $100 million annually dedicated to maintenance. See some of the highlights below.
Focus of Efforts To Date
To date, HCFCD has focused on three main things:
It hopes to meet citizen’s maintenance expectations by Fiscal Year 2028.
Since the start of their “Major Repair and Replace” program, HCFCD has designed 65 projects, constructed 10, and completed two.
The number of “Moderate Repair and Replace” projects handled through “on-call contracts” increased from 3 to 11 so far this year. Spending on that program has nearly tripled from $2.7 million to $7.8 million.
New Equipment
HCFCD purchased $17 million of new equipment, including excavators, dozers, vehicles and chainsaws. The District has yet to take delivery of all the equipment but says, “This investment strengthens both preventive maintenance and repair efforts, allowing crews to work more efficiently and respond quickly to emerging needs.”
The District hopes to receive most of the equipment in Fiscal Year 2026.
Desilting Has Largest Percentage Increase, But…
In addition, HCFCD’s channel desilting efforts increased by 117%. Out of 2500 miles of channels in 23 watersheds, HCFCD went from desilting a total of 24.6 miles of channels to 53.5 miles. That’s a little more than 2% of the total mileage. But it is double the previous 1%.
The update does not address needed maintenance intervals. I hope that number increases. At that rate, it will take half a century before crews return to your channel.
Recruiting Challenge
Finding employees, especially equipment operators, to scale up operations has been challenging. Of the 54 new hires authorized by Commissioners Court, 22 positions have been filled and 11 offers are pending. “Recruiting has been challenging,” says the update. 24 job offers had to be withdrawn for various reasons.
Fast-Action Funding Grows by $330,000
Funding for HCFCD’s Fast Action Service Teams, which handle community concerns such as debris and fallen trees that block channels, has already increased from $1.04 million per year to $1.36 million per year.
New Computer System
To help run its Asset Management program, HCFCD is digitizing its computer systems and assets. The District hopes to complete and deploy a new Computerized Maintenance Management System by the end of 2026.
Consultant Search
HCFCD also is seeking a consultant to help scale its maintenance programs and address the backlog of deferred work. It hopes to conclude the review process, which started in May, by early Fall 2025.
Looking Ahead
HCFCD’s report concludes with these encouraging words. “The progress outlined in this report demonstrates the tangible benefits of sustained investment in maintenance and the significant return Proposition A has delivered for Harris County residents.”
“By combining new funding with strategic scaling of staff, equipment, and operational practices, the Flood Control District is rapidly addressing decades of deferred maintenance while laying the foundation for a proactive, resilient system.”
“As the Maintenance Matters program continues to grow, the Flood Control District remains committed to transparency, accountability, and community partnership. FY2026 will mark another year of historic investment, ensuring that Harris County’s flood risk reduction infrastructure is not only restored and maintained, but strengthened to serve future generations.”
For More Information or to File a Maintenance Request…
See the entire 7-page update here.
To file a service request, visit HCFCD.org.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/4/2025
2928 Days since Hurricane Harvey
City Controller Finds Houston Underprepared for Disasters
9/3/25 – A new study by City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins found that Houston is underprepared for disasters. FEMA ranks Harris County #1 nationally for hurricane risk. However, Houston has roughly half the disaster reserves of other cities studied and half the amount recommended by Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practices.
The study dated 9/2/25 by the Controller’s Budget and Financial Affairs Committee was called Weathering the Storm: Houston’s Financial Preparedness for Natural Disasters.
It reviews the City’s disaster reserve funding policies and economic vulnerabilities that limit flexibility in disasters.
It also proposes strategies to make Houston more financially prepared for future disasters.
Houston Has History of Disasters
Houston has faced 25 FEMA-declared disasters since 1983 with frequency rising sharply during the last decade.
FEMA gives Houston/Harris County and Miami/Dade County the highest possible hurricane risk scores – a perfect 100. The scores reflect expected losses, social vulnerability and community resilience.
In recent years, this area exxperienced the second and tenth costliest storms in U.S. history (Harvey and Ike).
Economic Vulnerabilities
The report next looks at the causes of Houston’s economic vulnerability. They include:
After a temporary boost from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) during Covid, Houston’s disaster fund will experience some of the sharpest declines in history.
A number of state and local laws, such as property tax caps, limit Houston’s revenue. Police, fire and debt consume 75% of the City’s budget, leaving little flexibility.
Disaster Reserve Funding
In 2024, the City’s disaster reserve fund peaked at a record high – $385 million above the minimum mandated by policy. However, that surplus has been drawn down to close budget gaps.
At present, Houston’s reserves lag behind peer cities and recommended best practices. The target as a percent of the total general fund in:
Recommended Policy Changes
The report recommends:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/3/25
2927 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Flickinger Explains Vote on Disaster-Recovery Funds
9/2/2025 – The following is reprinted from Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s newsletter. It relates to the purchase of backup generators to keep critical city facilities such as sewage treatment plants, running when power goes out during storms. This issue has plagued the Lake Houston Area. Some of the money below will still go toward generators, just not as much.
“In August, City Council approved the submission of a plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for how the City will allocate nearly $315 million in federal disaster recovery funds from the Derecho storm and Hurricane Beryl last year. Council Members Huffman, Peck, and I co-authored a joint op-ed explaining our vote against the proposed plan. We submitted this to the Houston Chronicle for publishing, but they refused to do so. You can read what we wrote below:
Why We Voted Against the $100 Million Home Repair Amendment
As Houston City Council Members, our responsibility is to make decisions that improve the quality of life and safety of Houstonians in the most responsible and fiscally prudent way possible. That’s why, when faced with a $315 million disaster recovery action plan, we could not support an amendment that would have redirected $50 million away from critical disaster recovery tools and into additional home repair funding.
The amendment proposed raising home repair funding from $50 million to $100 million, split evenly between single-family and multi-family homes. While the intention was noble, the extra dollars would have come from the budget set aside for generators at essential city facilities. These generators power community centers, sewage lift stations, and police and fire stations—places that become lifelines when disaster strikes.
We are deeply sympathetic to Houstonians whose homes were damaged by storms. But we voted no for three key reasons:
Generators Are Vital for Disaster Recovery
When the power goes out, safety risks increase dramatically. Community centers must be able to provide shelter, and first responders need reliable facilities to do their jobs. We must continue to make sure that our water and wastewater plants have electricity to provide these services as well.
A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs survey found that 88% of registered voters in Harris County are concerned about outages lasting more than a day this summer. That is not an abstract fear—it is based on lived experience. For the first time, we have an opportunity to obtain generators, and cutting the funding jeopardizes public safety at the very moment Houstonians need it most.
The Home Repair Program is Inefficient
Currently, the program doesn’t just fix storm damage—it often rebuilds entire homes. Instead of only fixing storm damage, the City pays for repairs needed in the rest of the house, whether the damage was due to a storm or not. What might begin as a small roof repair can become a complete home rebuild. This drives the average cost per home to about $200,000, per Mayor Whitmire’s office.
For $50 million in single family home repairs, that would mean that we are only able to assist approximately 250 homes. In a city of 2.3 million people, while incredibly impactful to the small number of people receiving the benefit, it is negligible for the rest of the population. With smarter policies, we could stretch these dollars further and help more people. Until those changes are made, pouring in more money only perpetuates inefficiency.
Furthermore, the multi-family housing aspect of this program is even more problematic. Multi-family housing essentially means apartment complexes. While we must make sure that people have safe places to live, apartment complexes are businesses that almost without exception should have had insurance for protection.
Businesses are crucial to our economy, and apartments are no exception; however, paying to essentially remodel an apartment complex with this money does not help prepare anyone for future storms.
The Actual Need is Unclear
Damage estimates are made immediately after storms, but we are now more than a year out from the derecho and Hurricane Beryl. Many homeowners and multi-family owners have already completed repairs. Based on past storm data, the final need may be much lower than $100 million.
The City of Houston still has $40 million in home repair funding from Winter Storm Uri that Houstonians can access for home damages that must be addressed as well. Scaling up to manage a program of this size could require additional staff and new systems—raising the risk of falling short on federal requirements and jeopardizing future HUD funding.
We have already seen this exact scenario play out in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Although we know Mayor Whitmire and his administration will handle this process with care and accuracy, we do not know yet the scale on which we would need to increase this program in order meet the demands.
We continue to support Mayor Whitmire’s commitment towards disaster recovery and response, and he and his team have done a phenomenal job in recent storms to make sure that Houstonians were cared for. He faced a difficult task in shaping this action plan, and we commend him for listening to residents who called for home repair assistance.
His decision to shift $50 million toward repairs—when the original plan had none—was a fair and thoughtful compromise. At this stage, however, $100 million does not advance our goal of preparing Houston for disasters. Given the choice of repairing 250 homes and an indeterminable number of private apartment complexes versus addressing needs for 2.3 million people, we chose the latter.
We remain committed to supporting Houstonians in times of crisis. But we must do it in a way that is sustainable, efficient, and does not undermine other critical recovery tools.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/2/25 based on CoH Council Member Flickinger’s September Newsletter
2926 Days since Hurricane Harvey