Almost seven years after Harris County voters approved a $2.5 billion flood bond to protect residents from future storms, a newly confirmed budget shortfall threatens to derail dozens of critical projects.
County officials revealed this week that the flood control program faces a $1.3 billion funding gap, largely due to inflation, rising construction costs, and an over-reliance on external funding.
Despite having secured $2.7 billion in partner funding—exceeding initial goals—officials representing the county’s Flood Control District say many projects remain in early planning stages, and that completing the original bond program will require significantly more resources.
Only about 30 percent of the bond’s allocated funds have been spent so far.
One at-risk project is in the Aldine neighborhood, where stormwater detention basins were built to protect residents who experienced waist-high flooding during Hurricane Harvey.
A planned expansion of the Aldine project, identified as a top priority, now faces a $17.9 million funding shortfall.
The revelation has reignited debate among Harris County commissioners about how to prioritize remaining funds.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis continues to push for an “equity”-first approach, focusing on socially vulnerable communities most at risk of flooding.
He argues that two scoring frameworks adopted by the Commissioners Court in 2019 and 2022 were meant to guide these decisions but have largely gone unused.
Flood Control officials counter that those frameworks were never intended to override the original bond budget, and that funding decisions were made based on project readiness and need. A recent audit confirmed that prioritization scores were used to determine project eligibility but not to direct spending order.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey has called for an equal distribution of remaining funds across all precincts and has threatened to appeal to state officials if the equity-based method continues. “The formula is flawed,” he said, suggesting project cuts be equally spread.
The dispute over how to handle the shortfall has also raised concerns about transparency. County Judge Lina Hidalgo and local advocacy groups have called for more public accountability.
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