Cy-Fair Improvement District

[mrfootball]

Revisiting 2003...

Cy-Fair residents rejected plans for a new improvement district and its 1-cent sales tax.

On the ballot were two propositions -- the first to create the Cy-Fair Community Improvement District, and the second to authorize a sales tax of up to a penny to be spent on local projects.

With all precincts reporting, the first proposition was defeated 56 percent to 43 percent.

The second measure lost by a 3-to-1 margin.

"I think this will come back to haunt us," said Reginald Lillie, a Stonegate subdivision resident who supports the district. "The city and county won't do for this area what this district could do."

The proposed district includes the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District boundaries in northwest Harris County, except for territory in the Jersey Village and Houston city limits.

Hopefully they'll get another shot at this next time around...but they'll have to do a better job educating the people of the Cy-Fair area as to why this is in our best interest.

We'll eventually get annexed by Houston and have to pay the max sales tax anyway...might as well have that money go to work improving and ensuring the long-term vitality and aesthetics of our area as opposed to paying for projects across town.

It's too bad Cypress unincorporated itself back in 1989...I wonder if its too late to reverse that.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Cy-Fair residents rejected plans for a new improvement district and its 1-cent sales tax.

On the ballot were two propositions -- the first to create the Cy-Fair Community Improvement District, and the second to authorize a sales tax of up to a penny to be spent on local projects.

With all precincts reporting, the first proposition was defeated 56 percent to 43 percent.

The second measure lost by a 3-to-1 margin.

"I think this will come back to haunt us," said Reginald Lillie, a Stonegate subdivision resident who supports the district. "The city and county won't do for this area what this district could do."

The proposed district includes the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District boundaries in northwest Harris County, except for territory in the Jersey Village and Houston city limits.

Hopefully they'll get another shot at this next time around...but they'll have to do a better job educating the people of the Cy-Fair area as to why this is in our best interest.

We'll eventually get annexed by Houston and have to pay the max sales tax anyway...might as well have that money go to work improving and ensuring the long-term vitality and aesthetics of our area as opposed to paying for projects across town.

It's too bad Cypress unincorporated itself back in 1989...I wonder if its too late to reverse that.

Is there any idea as to who Houston will attempt to annex next? And what was the main reason why so many people voted against the proposition?

[mrfootball]

Houston seems to prefer to snake its tentacles around high density retail like Willowbrook Mall and the corridor of 249...they'll do the same with 290...It really sucks (literally), as they simply annex those shopping centers...suck all the tax money and take it back to the city. A Cheap grab...with limited benefit to the area they suck the taxes out of. Of course, they'll argue that the suburbs sponge off the city services and they have every right.

The best thing we could do is launch a campaign to re-incorporate Cypress, next to that, is get this Improvement District plan passed the next time around.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Houston seems to prefer to snake its tentacles around high density retail like Willowbrook Mall and the corridor of 249...they'll do the same with 290...It really sucks (literally), as they simply annex those shopping centers...suck all the tax money and take it back to the city. A Cheap grab...with limited benefit to the area they suck the taxes out of. Of course, they'll argue that the suburbs sponge off the city services and they have every right.

The best thing we could do is launch a campaign to re-incorporate Cypress, next to that, is get this Improvement District plan passed the next time around.

I've lived in Alief most of my life, so I've never been through an annexation. What's the biggest reason why neighborhood don't want to get annexed by Houston? And if a house didn't want it, why would they want to live in a city that has that potential of being annexed? (just want to know both sides of the debate. I have no opinion on it)

[mrfootball]

People are drawn to unincorporated areas due to their lower taxes, larger greenspaces (by nature of their being 'new' developments outside the city).

I think Kingwood is as good a case study as any as to why people don't want to be part of Houston, they pay more for less service.

There have been points made that the city administration is more akin to annex the malls, business and retail areas than the residential areas, because these areas cost big bucks to administer, and they don't want to have to contend with the possibility of having heavily Republican Harris County tipping the balance of power to the other side in City elections.

Regardless, Houston's too big. I think Cypress would do well to re-incorporate or become part of Tomball's ETJ...same with Klein.

[DJ V Lawrence]

People are drawn to unincorporated areas due to their lower taxes, larger greenspaces (by nature of their being 'new' developments outside the city).

I think Kingwood is as good a case study as any as to why people don't want to be part of Houston, they pay more for less service.

There have been points made that the city administration is more akin to annex the malls, business and retail areas than the residential areas, because these areas cost big bucks to administer, and they don't want to have to contend with the possibility of having heavily Republican Harris County tipping the balance of power to the other side in City elections.

Regardless, Houston's too big. I think Cypress would do well to re-incorporate or become part of Tomball's ETJ...same with Klein.

So what you're saying is that if you stay unincororated, you could get annexed by Houston and pay more taxes, but if you become incorporated to protect yourself from annexation, you'd also have to pay higher taxes? Sounds like a double-edged sword.

[mrfootball]

Yes, but you have more representation because your government would (in theory) be more sensitive to the issues of your immediate area. If Kingwood were incorporated, more of they money they paid in would remain in Kingwood, improving and maintaining their local community, rather than funding some improvements across town.

All politics is as they say, local...