Champions area residents will vote on park and infrastructure bonds worth $35 million Nov. 3. The propositions were placed on the ballot by Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 52.
“When you turn on the faucet in the kitchen, you expect that water to be safe and clear, but that doesn’t happen through osmosis,” said Bob Pryor, president of HCFWSD No. 52. “We’re here to preserve that expectation.”
The bond proposes a property tax to pay for the bonds in a district that has not had a municipal district tax in more than 30 years, Pryor said. If approved, it is estimated the infrastructure bonds would require a property tax rate of 6.4 cents per $100 of appraised value in 2017 while the park bonds would require a tax of 7.2 cents per $100 of valuation.
MUD officials said residents would begin paying property taxes in 2017, and the rate would rise or fall over the course of the bonds’ lives depending on the property values in the district. The district will end the property tax once the bonds have been paid off, likely 20 years after the last bond has been issued, HCFWSD No. 52 attorney Andy Johnson said.
Ron Yates, a board member for the homeowners association in the Champions East subdivision, said some residents believe the bond amount is too high.
“There are a lot of people who live in this neighborhood [who] are on a fixed income,” Yates said. “For some people, who are elderly or retired, this is a lot of money.”
Improving infrastructure
The infrastructure bond package includes more than $8 million to repair or rebuild segments of the water pipeline over the next two decades. This amount includes about $1 million to repair or replace the 54-year-old wastewater treatment plant—which prepares water for reuse in Cypress Creek and local golf courses.
The treatment plant and corresponding water pipelines have surpassed their 50-year projected lifespan, Pryor said.
The bond would also provide more than $2 million for improvements to the district’s sewer and drainage systems.
Pryor said repairs to the water equipment are necessary and HCFWSD No. 52 will issue revenue bonds that will cause water rates to increase if the infrastructure bond is defeated. The municipal district prefers a property tax over revenue bonds because the tax will save the community money, he said.
“If we went the revenue bond [route], the water rate increases and we’re facing a guaranteed debt payment,” Pryor said. “Plus we need a reserve for that debt. That’s a very costly approach.”
Attracting homeowners
Pryor said HCFWSD No. 52 is trying to pass the $10 million park bond proposal to help secure property values in the community and attract younger homeowners.
The proposed park bond includes funding to create a dog park, extend and beautify the walking trail on Champions Drive and build a walking trail on Paradise Valley Drive in the current ditch.
“All of that will improve the looks of the community,” Pryor said. “It would give the community a place to congregate. If we do this correctly, we might have a Fourth of July parade.”
Yates said the community has several park options nearby and spending $10 million on parks is excessive.
“This potentially has a huge financial impact, and I think it is misleadingly justified,” Yates said. “Many of the [proposed improvements] are not supported by people in the neighborhood.”
