Federal, state and local officials gathered in northwest Harris County on Friday, Oct. 16, to coordinate a regional push for flood-mitigation funding, first reported by Community Impact.
State Rep. Steve Toth hosted the session, which was closed to the public but open to media. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Texas House and Senate, the City of Houston, Harris County and Montgomery County attended. It was the third cross-jurisdictional meeting aimed at the region's flood infrastructure needs, according to Community Impact.
"Most of us here don't need to be reminded of what's at stake," Toth said.
The meeting's central takeaway came from FEMA Deputy Division Director John Garvin, who said jurisdictions with predictable projects are the strongest grant applicants. Having plans on the shelf before a disaster strikes makes a project more competitive for federal dollars, Garvin said.
That message landed differently depending on the county. Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey said the jurisdictions would be "sophisticated grantees" if FEMA awards them money. Ramsey's Precinct 3 covers much of the Spring area.
Montgomery County officials flagged a funding gap. Montgomery County Commissioner Ritch Wheeler said flood projects are hard to finance because the county relies on property taxes and lacks access to other revenue sources such as sales taxes. Montgomery County Commissioner Matt Gray echoed that concern, noting it is difficult to invest in projects while keeping property taxes stable. Gray said the county doesn't have the financial vehicles to get projects shovel-ready. Montgomery County approved a slight property tax increase in September.
Houston City Council member Twila Carter said the group needs to focus on mitigating flood risk before a disaster comes, calling for "measurable commitments."
The meeting comes as Harris County works through more than $1.1 billion in disaster recovery and flood mitigation projects tied to Hurricane Harvey, which struck in August 2017. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced Sept. 28 a one-year extension on spending deadlines for those projects. Disaster recovery work now faces a February 2028 deadline, and flood mitigation projects must be complete by March 2029, according to Community Impact reporting.
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) still has $113 million in unallocated disaster recovery funding, HCFCD Executive Director Marcus Stuckett said in a statement Monday, Oct. 19. Ramsey told Community Impact that "time becomes the challenge" with those unallocated funds.
FEMA representatives did not commit to granting money to any jurisdiction. But FEMA Division Director Roosevelt Grant called the group's conversation "absolutely what we want to hear."
Toth said the group will meet again to begin identifying specific projects. An HCFCD presentation to Harris County Commissioners Court, originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15, was postponed to Nov. 12.
