Updated 6: p.m. with comment from Sen. Joan Huffman


Tax legislation and bond projects are on the brain of Fort Bend County leaders this year. County Judge Robert Hebert mentioned such issues during the annual “State of the County” address Friday.

Organized by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, Hebert’s address at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond touched on matters relating to the state legislature, county facilities projects, mobility, property tax reform and health and human services in the county.

Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert[/caption]

Near the top of his speech, Hebert highlighted Senate Bill 2, which passed the Texas Senate Tuesday and now heads to the state House of Representatives. Authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and co-authored by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the bill would require taxing entities to hold an election if the amount of operating and maintenance funds they plan to collect from property taxes is roughly 5 percent more than what they took in the previous year rather than the existing 8 percent trigger, the Texas Tribune reported.

“Fifty-three cents out of every dollar we spend is property tax,” Hebert said. “Basically half our money goes for administration of courts and law enforcement. And the other half—around a quarter—goes for all the other services we provide.”

Bettencourt has contended the legislation is needed to curb rising property taxes for citizens while Sugar Land, Missouri City and county leaders argue it would limit their ability to collect revenue to provide services.

Hebert said he was “appalled” by area senators Kolkhorst’s and Joan Huffman’s, R-Houston, votes in favor of the bill. Huffman said in an email that she amended the bill to trigger an election at a 5 percent increase in property tax rates compared to the 4 percent cap originally proposed.

"Local elected officials must understand that our constituents are being taxed out of their homes," she said in a statement. "I voted for SB2 because it was the right thing to do for property owners in Senate District 17."

This common sense proposal will provide appraisal reform and give voters the final approval over property tax hikes," Kolkhorst in a statement the day of the vote. "Texas still has work to do on addressing our reliance on property taxes for public schools. In the meantime, Senate Bill 2 provides the purest form of local control possible because it gives taxpayers the final say and keeps power where it belongs, with the people."

 

 

Hebert also criticized the rate of state funding for public schools, saying it needed to be increased.

Later in the address, he mentioned facilities projects funded by the county’s 2015 bond that are anticipated to take place this year. Such projects included:

  • A new parking garage for the county Justice Center and Sheriff’s office in Richmond will open April 3.

  • A new county annex in Sienna Plantation in the former Houston Community College building is expected to open by May.

  • Expansion of the 5th Street Gymnasium and community center—which lies on county property between Missouri City and Stafford—is expected to be complete by mid-December.

  • Two new courtrooms are being added to the Justice Center.

  • Expansion of Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City branch, located at 1530 Texas Parkway, is expected to go out for bid in April.


Other points mentioned by Hebert included:

  • Fort Bend County’s population grew 5 percent from about 720,000 people in 2016 to nearly 756,000 people in 2017 to-date.

  • Phase 2 of improvements to Crabb River Road are expected to begin this year. The road section from Rabbs Bayou to south of George Ranch High School in Richmond will be made into a divided four-lane concrete roadway.

  • The average response time for county emergency medical services decreased from 6:58 minutes in 2015 to 6:31 minutes in 2016.

  • Fort Bend County hired 20 additional paramedics in 2016 and has added a total 55 EMS staff since Jan. 1, 2015.