Harris County faces a $410 million funding shortfall for its flood bond program, established after Hurricane Harvey, which has paused more than two dozen projects as officials weigh options for future financing.
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Harris County is facing a $410 million shortfall in its 2018 flood bond program, forcing officials to pause 26 groups of projects and raising the possibility of another bond election to complete critical post-Harvey flood work.
Last week, the Harris County Flood Control District revealed that its $2.5 billion bond program, which voters approved in 2018 following Hurricane Harvey, is facing considerable financial challenges.
Recent updates indicate a $410 million deficit, reduced from an earlier forecast of a $1 billion shortfall. However, this amount remains significant enough to postpone numerous flood mitigation initiatives.
Executive Director Tina Petersen informed the commissioners that a minimum of 15 projects, listed in county bond records as “bond IDs,” were found to be unfeasible following comprehensive engineering evaluations. Several encountered issues with legal right-of-way access, while others dealt with significant conflicts between design and groundwork.
Following the approval of the bond by voters, the county has successfully obtained approximately $2.7 billion in collaborations from various local, state, and federal entities, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Despite this, rising costs due to inflation have increased by approximately eight percent, exacerbating the initial funding shortfall of the program.
Commissioners deliberated on the option of returning to the electorate for additional funding, but legal limitations prevent pursuing another bond until the 75 ongoing projects are finalized.
District 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey announced that approximately $1.5 billion in flood bond projects have been completed. To date, Harris County has completed over 109 projects, removed 183,000 structures from the floodplain, and constructed 46,000 linear feet of stormwater conveyance enhancements. Since 2017, the county has successfully carried out 3,100 voluntary buyouts of properties at risk of flooding.
Officials have recognized the challenges posed by political and logistical factors regarding the possibility of another bond election. Commissioner Rodney Ellis from Precinct 1 highlighted concerns about the low turnout in the 2018 election, emphasizing that gaining public support once more will necessitate enhanced voter involvement. “You should not assume that we could achieve another one with such a low turnout,” Ellis stated.
The Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force, established in 2020 to guide fair flood planning, has also expressed worries regarding transparency. A letter addressed to county staff from both current and former task force members recommended increased community involvement in determining the priorities for the remaining bond projects.
In the meantime, a newly introduced bill by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, has faced backlash from members of the task force. The proposal aims to transfer the management of the Harris County Flood Control District to the state, undoing years of local governance established when the Legislature formed the district in 1937.
The district has put a hold on 26 project groups as it reviews its funding priorities. County officials indicate that the upcoming actions will concentrate on addressing critical areas, yet they recognize that the complete fulfillment of the bond initiative is in jeopardy without further funding.
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