HOUSTON, Texas — Harris County commissioners in Houston, Texas, voted Thursday to lean on a new wave of elected Democrats for help keeping federal Hurricane Harvey flood control money from slipping away.
The county has 28 projects funded with more than $860 million in federal aid. If it misses spending deadlines, it could have to return the money and cancel work. Marcus Stuckett, the new executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, told the court nearly all 28 now look on track after a one-year extension granted by federal officials and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham.
Buckingham, a Republican who had said she would not grant more extensions, lost on Nov. 3 to Democrat Ben Flores, who takes office in January. County leaders hope Flores will be more open to a further delay, which could let them put roughly $320 million that is still uncommitted to work and restore projects that were trimmed to save time.
The court approved a letter, without opposition, to federal lawmakers asking them to protect the aid. The letter was addressed to U.S. Sen.-elect James Talarico along with the House members who represent the Houston area.
Outgoing County Judge Lina Hidalgo welcomed the outreach but said it does not fix the bigger problem. She said about 25 projects promised to voters in the 2018 flood bond are paused indefinitely because of rising construction costs, inflation and outside money that never arrived.
Hidalgo said residents in neighborhoods counting on those projects have not been told clearly that some may never be built, and she urged the county to finish what it already promised before paying for anything new.
Section: More Houston TX politics news
Filed under: Houston TX Politics News
