Voters in several municipal utility districts will decide on propositions in Spring and Klein this November, including the creation of a MUD for a new housing development.
Among the measures on the Harris County ballot, residents are asked to confirm the creation of Harris County MUD 551, approve a total of
$137.5 million in bonds to fund infrastructure for MUD 551 and approve a tax rate up to $1.50 per $100 of assessed property value. Five directors are also running uncontested for seats on the board of directors.
MUD 551 will serve Retreat at Champions, a subdivision being constructed by developer Centex Homes, said Macey Kessler, a communications specialist from Pulte Group, the homebuilder for the project.
The 45-acre subdivision is at Stuebner Airline Road near Cashel Glen Drive and Wunderlich Road and will consist of 245 homes. The properties will be available for sale starting this year, Kessler said.
The creation of the MUD—which is within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston—was approved by a city of Houston ordinance in 2016, she said.
Only residents and property owners within a utility district are able to vote in MUD elections.
The November ballot also includes a measure requesting voter approval for up to $37.5 million in bonds for Northwest Harris County MUD 22. The district includes neighborhoods near FM 1960 and Bammel North Houston Road such as Torrey Pines, Hambledon, Torrey Square and Briarchase.
“The bonds are to be used primarily for water plant and water distribution improvements, wastewater collection, storm water quality improvements and wastewater plant expansion,” said JoAnn Matthiesen, a managing partner with the law firm Baker Williams Matthiesen, which represents the district.
The improvements are necessary because the district’s system is more than 35 years old and deteriorating, Matthiesen said. Any portion of the bonds not needed to finance improvements to the district’s system will not be sold, she said.
Cypress-Klein Utility District, which includes an area south of Stuebner Airline and Louetta roads as well as Collins Park, is asking district voters to authorize a tax rate up to 25 cents per $100 of assessed property value to fund long-term maintenance and capital improvement projects. The authorization does not mean the tax rate will increase, but it sets a limit on the rate the district can levy, district attorney Maria Parker said.