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Harris County voters will be asked to approve a bond package totaling $880 million in November, money to be used to improve roads, parks and to complete the Port of Houston’s Bayport container terminal. Here’s more from Houston Public Radio’s Jack Williams.
Commissioners agreed unanimously today to place the bond package on the November 6th ballot, with the biggest chunk of the proposed money, $250 million, earmarked for the Port of Houston. Other parts of the bond proposal include $190 million for road improvements and $70 million for a new Family Law Center downtown. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
“This a bond issue that makes a lot of sense. It’s one that we will be selling hard and I think we will be able to do without any tax increase.”
Residents would vote on each of six parts of the bond package individually and could approve some and defeat others. Emmett says if approved, the bonds wouldn’t even kick in until 2011.
“Between now and 2011, obviously we can continue to re-evaluate, but if we don’t get the bond approved now, then we won’t be in a position in 2010 and 2011, to make these improvements, so this is just thinking ahead a little bit and getting ready.”
Emmett says $195 million of the bond money would go to build a new county jail and another $80 million would fund a new forensic center.
