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Four candidates are running for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority board of directors in the upcoming Nov. 5 election.
What to know
Incumbents Mark Ramsey and Kelly Fessler will face Alan Rendl and Roy Burroughs for districts 4 and 5, respectively.
Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 50 words and to address the question without attacking other candidates. Answers may have been cut or edited to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
For more information on the voting in the Nov. 5 election, visit www.harrisvotes.com.
Why are you running for this position?
My name is Alan Rendl. I am a candidate for the NHCRWA position I held for 22 years because I care about our community. I recognize how important a long-term water supply is to our future and why we must convert to surface water to slow subsidence and reduce flooding.
What would be your top priorities if elected?
My priorities will be getting back to the normalcy of conducting business in a professional manner. Listening to professionals and constituents with the main goal of providing safe quality water to customers at the lowest fee possible while meeting the [Harris-Galveston] Subsidence District mandate and avoiding ~$12 per 1,000-gallon disincentive fees.
What are the biggest challenges for the residents in your district, and how will you address them?
We face many challenges including inflation, deteriorating infrastructure, subsidence and routine flooding to name a few. I support lowering water rates responsibly while also balancing the related cost of building our infrastructure and reducing subsidence to minimize flooding.
How can water authorities prioritize limiting subsidence within their boundaries?
Recognizing the severity of the problem is the first step. Meet the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District’s existing mandate of conversion to surface water. Educate the public about subsidence and conservation. Build strong cooperative relationships with regulatory agencies and other water authorities in our region.
The NHCRWA board recently voted for a third-rate reduction in the past year. Do you believe this is sustainable? What is your plan to keep water affordable?
Lower water rates are not sustainable and were done politically to get re-elected. People don’t know that water rates will increase regardless of who is elected, but faster and at a higher amount due to the recent irresponsible reductions. I believe in honesty and effectively and efficiently managing the NHCRWA.
Why are you running for this position?
Two years ago, I ran to stop skyrocketing water rate increases, evident by massive water bills during the 2022 drought. As an award-winning engineer, I found solutions. I cut water rates three times for a total of $2 per 1,000 gallons—over 40%. There is more to be done.
What would be your top priorities if elected?
Ensuring abundant, affordable, top quality water supplies while addressing areas of potential subsidence; legislative and regulatory relief from a 50-year-old unfunded mandate; a full audit of NHCRWA finances and operations; updated science to ensure that projects are correctly targeted; minimize future debt issuance.
What are the biggest challenges for the residents in your district, and how will you address them?
Rising tax burdens. I led the battle for the first cut in water rates in the history of the NHCRWA. That’s our current challenge, to find and implement more ways to save costs and ensure abundant, sustainable and affordable water for now and generations to come.
How can water authorities prioritize limiting subsidence within their boundaries?
By understanding what causes it and how much damage it causes. If subsidence is damaging an area, then cost benefit analyses should be conducted to ensure areas affected are protected while not wasting taxpayer resources on areas that have no water issues or subsidence damages due to groundwater use.
Why are you running for this position?
The NHCRWA has secured a long-term water supply for the area, and I want to ensure that it is made available to the citizens of the authority. With the new board majority elected two years ago, I feel that objective is at risk without sufficient experience on the board.
What would be your top priorities if elected?
My main priorities continue to include making the best decisions for completion of the 2025 surface water conversion and to determine whether spending $3 billion to complete the 2035 conversion by the deadline is really in the best interests of the community.
What are the biggest challenges for the residents in your district, and how will you address them?
Costs and regulations. Water has gotten more expensive; that is due to building infrastructure to make sure we always have enough. I'm concerned that regulations are forcing us to build more, bigger and faster than is really necessary. I'm working with other government officials investigating alternatives.
How can water authorities prioritize limiting subsidence within their boundaries?
At the moment, reducing groundwater pumpage is really the only option. The question in my mind is how fast and how much is necessary to slow or eliminate subsidence. Right now, we are mandated by the subsidence district on the amount and speed. I believe there have to be other …
The NHCRWA board recently voted for a third-rate reduction in the past year. Do you believe this is sustainable? What is your plan to keep water affordable?
The rate reduction is not sustainable, is short-sighted and politically self-serving by the majority that voted for it. The reductions will be short-lived as the rates will need to grow faster and steeper in order to pay for the infrastructure being built for our long-term water needs.
Why are you running for this position?
I am [a] retired [certified public accountant] with extensive business and accounting background for a Fortune 150 company in [the] U.S. I am asking the voters to place my career skill set in accounting, auditing and supervision of large projects onto the NHCRWA board. This insight is not represented on the current board.
What would be your top priorities if elected?
A better focus on targeting the projects that help the NHCRWA meet the required goals of surface water conversion. Significant attention to the quality, reliability and efficiency of the water distribution operations.
What are the biggest challenges for the residents in your district, and how will you address them?
District 5 has not received its share of the expansion projects over the years. Our [municipal utility districts] have been in a holding pattern without the relief afforded to the western districts. It is time to balance projects between NHCRWA districts.
How can water authorities prioritize limiting subsidence within their boundaries?
Long-term water supply is the primary mandate of the NHCRWA. To the extent that subsidence can be mitigated through groundwater conversion, that will be a benefit of the project. The goal is to make progress on our conversion projects, maintaining quality construction, operations and affordability for the rate payers.
The NHCRWA board recently voted for a third rate reduction in the past year. Do you believe this is sustainable? What is your plan to keep water affordable?
My goal is to keep water affordable. The NHCRWA already has projects approved, contracted and under construction that may increase the current rate in the future. Beyond that, board members must balance affordability with progress on conversion. Rate payers are not writing a blank check.
The NHCRWA board recently voted for a third rate reduction in the past year. Do you believe this is sustainable? What is your plan to keep water affordable?
Unequivocally, yes. After being elected in 2022, I investigated NHCRWA finances. I found an account funded by overcharging ratepayers that ballooned into a whopping $300 million dollar slush fund—over double our annual budget. We must conduct proper risk/reward analysis before spending your taxpayer money.
