Houston voters will decide a one-cent sales tax issue in April that would provide additional revenue for the fire and police departments, as well as generate funding for municipal recreation and park opportunities.
The decision – passed by a strong 5-1 vote with Mayor Don Tottingham rebuking the plan — came Monday during a meeting of the Houston City Council. The deadline to certify the issue on the ballot is Jan. 22, according to the secretary of state’s office.
The sole dissenter was council member Chalky Wells. It received support from the rest of the council: Kevin Stilley, Donnie Wilson, Jeremy St. John, Kim Bittle and Viki Narancich. Bittle voiced support and said local citizens are concerned about public safety.
Stilley, the chair of the council’s police and fire committee, led the discussion on the need for additional resources for both police and fire departments. He said among them are equipment needs and perhaps a full-time fire chief who could check equipment and performance of hydrants.
Stilley, Ward I alderman, said the departments are proposing the Safe Community, Active Community Act, which would be distributed between the three groups. The distribution would be: half-cent, parks and recreation; .175 cents, police; and .325, fire.
The City of Houston Fire Department’s 2008 Pierce Saber fire truck sits in the fire station driveway in November. It was purchased from a department in Iowa for $175,000.
A simple majority is required for passage. It would generate more than $700,000 annually.
A proposal for a half-cent public safety tax for both the police and fire departments was presented Dec. 17 by Police Chief Tim Ceplina. There was no discussion related to the parks and recreation department, which last May sought guidance from the council on moving forward with a potential sports complex.
“I feel like they (police and fire) are in need of this. But I hate to go forward without including the parks and rec,” Stilley said.
Stilley told his colleagues that the police and fire departments have continually gotten behind in needed resources over the years and were playing catch up.
“I do think this tax is needed,” Stilley said, noting the city already needs a new fire truck.
Tottingham, who did not have a vote, dissented.
“I for one am going to disagree,” said Tottingham, who said both the fire and police departments have seen healthy budget increases over the last two years. He said the parks and recreation plan was undeveloped — with no location, no scope of the project, which might include a new pool, athletic fields and recreation. Much study is still required, he said.
A $250,000 grant for construction of a new swimming pool will aid the City of Houston in the project.
Stilley said a survey conducted last summer by the parks department found 80-90 percent of those responding overwhelmingly in favor of additional pool resources. The children’s pool didn’t open this past season due to disrepair. Stilley said it was time to address the pool.
Wells, a councilman for Ward II, voted against the tax. He said disarray in city government would kill any chances of passage.
{{tncms-inline alignment=”left” content=”<p>Shall the City of Houston implement a one cent sales tax within the city limits of Houston for the purpose of increasing funding for police and fire services, and parks and recreation. The program would fund vehicles. equipment, training and manpower issues in the police and fire departments, as well as create revenue for our parks and recreation department. The funds would create a safer work environment for our public service workers and a safer community for our future. Parks and Recreation would use the funds to create a new aquatic park; secure land to build new baseball and softball fields, develop a recreation facility, and improve existing parks facilities.</p> <p>Distribution of the revenue would be as follows:</p> <ul> <li>Parks and Recreation = .5 cent</li> <li>Fire = .325 cent</li> <li>Police = .175 cent</li> </ul> <p>This would not replace the majority of existing budgets for departments, but would supplement them for new facilities, police and fire vehicles, equipment and manpower.</p> <p><em>SOURCE: City of Houston</em></p>” id=”70227ab8-2f6c-4292-b80f-8161dc10759c” style-type=”bio” title=”Ballot language: Safe Community, Active Community Initiative” type=”relcontent” width=”half”}}
“Until we get a few things straightened out in our home down here, this house down here, they are not going to vote for anything,” Wells said.
Wells also pointed out the Houston School District is considering a “no tax increase” bond issue for April. He wondered about having both on the ballot. Dr. Allen Moss, superintendent, attended the meeting but made no comments about the city’s action.
Wells brought up several issues he said were troubling residents. He cited the sale of the city-owned Forbes property at what he said was “land tax sale” prices, a recently purchased used fire truck that has mechanical issues that the city is attempting to resolve with an Iowa seller and two lawsuits involving the city’s approval of a Community Improvement District to help with the costs of a TCMH surgical center. The county commission recently joined with George Sholtz of Upton to oppose it in court by questioning the procedure.
“People think we need to get our butt in gear down here and then they’ll vote it,” Wells said.
Wells suggested a November vote with the various departments working out a detailed plan and then going door-to-door. He wasn’t opposed to any of the needs cited, he said.
Councilmen Jeremy St. John disagreed with Wells’ assessment. He said he received the opposite information from citizens. Top concerns, St. John said are fire and police protection, infrastructure, parks and recreation and then other things.
“The money is not the problem,” Wells countered, “I think we need our ducks in a row down here before people are going to vote for it.”
The state of city government received more discussion in a closed session. Talks centered on operational issues in city government, including the performance of City Administrator Tona Bowen. No votes were taken.
Shall the City of Houston implement a one cent sales tax within the city limits of Houston for the purpose of increasing funding for police and fire services, and parks and recreation. The program would fund vehicles. equipment, training and manpower issues in the police and fire departments, as well as create revenue for our parks and recreation department. The funds would create a safer work environment for our public service workers and a safer community for our future. Parks and Recreation would use the funds to create a new aquatic park; secure land to build new baseball and softball fields, develop a recreation facility, and improve existing parks facilities.
Distribution of the revenue would be as follows:
- Parks and Recreation = .5 cent
- Fire = .325 cent
- Police = .175 cent
This would not replace the majority of existing budgets for departments, but would supplement them for new facilities, police and fire vehicles, equipment and manpower.
SOURCE: City of Houston