Company official: Package defeat would harm home values

By BETTY L. MARTIN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Passage of the Katy school district’s $289.5 million bond proposal would boost the area’s prospects for economic growth, say members of Katy Area Chamber of Commerce’s business development committee.

But voter rejection of the package on Nov. 7 could have a negative effect on home values, a member of the district’s bond committee warned at Thursday’s meeting of the chamber group.

Bond committee member Greg Henry said that if voters reject this bond proposal as they did one in May that called for more technology and land purchases, it would mean more portable buildings at existing schools. [i]…more…[/i]

Revised plan going to voters Nov. 7
By HELEN ERIKSEN
Chronicle Correspondent

The Katy public school district faces the task of winning approval of a $269.47 million school construction and renovation bond measure that is nearly $8 million more than the one voters defeated in May.

But officials are optimistic of passage Nov. 7 because a school district bond committee struck a better balance between school construction and renovation, a key issue of critics who claimed the May bond focused too much on construction.

Quelling complaints tied to technology outsourcing, the bond committee slashed technology allocations from $30.3 million in the May bond to $20.1 million.

“While there were several factors that contributed to the bond’s failure, including not countering misinformation circulating in the community about the district and the bond, our primary focus since May has been to work with the community to develop a bond package that addresses our current facilities, as well as future growth,” said district Superintendent Leonard Merrell. ..more…

County, drainage district would keep the same levy
By ZEN T. C. ZHENG
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court is expected to approve next week the 2006 property tax rates, which have been proposed to remain at this year’s level.
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Two public hearings on the proposed rates for the county and the drainage district drew no comments from county residents.

County officials have proposed both rates would remain at the 2005 level of 49.334 cents per $100 assessed valuation for the county and 2.34 cents per $100 valuation for Fort Bend County Drainage District.

Both rates represent a slight decrease from those for the 2004 tax year, when the county’s rate was 50.012 cents per $100 valuation and the drainage district’s rate stood at 2.362 cents per $100 valuation. …more…