The breakdown
Following the completion of several projects since 2023—including the replacement of Humble Fire Station No. 2, the city's new senior activity center, the South Bender Avenue rehabilitation project, and the reconfiguration of Main Street and South Houston Avenue—council members agreed to allocate funding across four project categories:
- Wastewater projects: $12.5 million
- Street projects: $7.4 million
- Water projects: $3.9 million
- Drainage projects: $3.4 million
The projects mainly include smaller improvements to flow and drainage across the city as well as replacing aging lines. According to budget documents, the most critical project is the replacement of the main sewer line connecting the northern part of the city to the water and sewer treatment plants in the city.
“We are finally at a point where it is 100% engineered and designed,” City Manager Jason Stuebe said. “We have all of the right of way and the easements necessary for it. There is no point in slow-rolling this any longer. We need to get it done.”
The line replacement is expected to take 18 months to complete, but Stuebe said they are hoping to bid the project for construction in October.
Quotes of note
- “I'm pleased with this budget; I would say it's a conservative budget,” Mayor Norman Funderburk said. “Our revenues are conservative, but we've been able to address all of the perceived needs. We've strengthened our core services; we've addressed public safety, and with employees being our most important asset, we're taking care of our employees."
- “This budget represents our collective commitment to investing in our community with an eye towards the future as it addresses numerous needs and long-overdue improvements throughout the city,” Stuebe said.
