County Commissioners Court received an update at a June 27 meeting on the capital improvement projects that will come before the commissioners during the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Harris Health System is in the middle of a $70 million expansion project at Ben Taub Hospital that will increase the number of operating rooms from 11 to 18. Last July, Harris County issued 20-year bonds, which are supported by property taxes, to finance the expansion. The project, which was required by the American College of Surgeons for Ben Taub to retain its status as a

Level I Trauma Center, will not be completed for several years.

Typically the projects are financed with revenue debt, Harris County Budget Chief Bill Jackson said.

“Property tax works with hospitals because there are so many changes in the health care business, and property tax-based debt is more stable,” he said.

With projections indicating that more than 500 semitrucks will be accessing the Port of Houston each day by the end of 2017, county officials are also working to address infrastructure improvements. The county collects property taxes to cover debt services payments at the port, which are $53 million for FY 2017-18 and are projected to remain steady for five years. Officials are looking to fund infrastructure without issuing additional taxpayer-supported debt, Jackson said.

“It’s not something the road and bridge money allocated to Precinct 2 will be able to take care of,” he said.