Harris County has been given one more year to spend the federal money meant for post-Hurricane Harvey flood work. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided grant funds to the county to finish the work by 2028, and the Texas General Land Office, which runs the funds, has now pushed that deadline back to the full 2028 window.
Texas General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced the extension in a video on Monday. She blamed Harris County leaders for creating rules that slowed down the work. “The GLO has committed millions of our own agency funds along with nearly a thousand meetings and countless hours of staff time to support the Harris County Flood Control District,” Buckingham said in the video.
The move comes after a report from the Harris County Flood Control District showed that several of the county’s disaster-relief flood projects — which voters approved in 2018 as part of a $2.5 billion bond — would not meet a state-set deadline early next year. The original deadline was February 2027, and the county was on track to miss six of 11 flood-mitigation projects, putting more than $245 million at risk.
The Projects at Risk
The report listed specific projects in danger. Channel work in precincts 1 and 2, and stormwater-detention basin work in precincts 2, 3 and 4 were among those facing funding deadlines early next year.
Missing those deadlines would have cost the county more than $245 million. The projects include channel-conveyance improvements in precincts 1 and 2, and stormwater-detention basin projects in precincts 2, 3 and 4, according to the report. Those projects sit across multiple precincts, each facing its own deadline.
What Buckingham Said
Buckingham said the Texas GLO had done everything possible to help the flood-control district’s new plan work. But she also said the county had not followed through.
“Unfortunately, more than four months later, Harris County has failed to provide the information necessary for HUD’s approval, and almost no additional progress has been made on these time-sensitive projects,” she said. “I pray these projects get completed, because if they do not, the Harris County flood victims are the ones who suffer.”
Who Runs the Flood Control District Now
In May, county leaders proposed a framework plan to speed up those projects. That same month, former flood-control director Tina Petersen submitted her resignation letter. She had clashed with commissioners court over the delays.
In June, commissioners appointed Petersen’s successor, Marcus Stuckett. He is a former director of engineering at the flood control district and is also vice president of a Houston-based private engineering firm, Pape-Dawson.
Garcia’s Expectations
Commissioner Adrian Garcia responded to the extension in a statement. He said a failure to finish the work on time is no longer an option.
“Moving forward, I expect the flood control district to ensure effective communication with all members of commissioners court and the GLO is frequent and clear, that consistent updates are brought to commissioners court,” Garcia said.
The County’s Response
A spokesperson with the Harris County Flood Control District said the organization is working to determine which existing contracts may qualify for additional time. An update will be provided to commissioners court on Oct. 15.
The Deadline Question
The original Feb. 2027 deadline was set to give the federal government enough time for administrative work to close out the grant process, according to a Texas GLO spokesperson who spoke to Houston Public Media. The extension now pushes that deadline to the full 2028 window.
What Happens Next
The county has until the 2028 deadline to finish the work. The flood-control district’s update on Oct. 15 will show whether contracts can be extended.
The county was on track to miss six of 11 projects, and the commissioner has now said the victims will suffer if the work does not get done. The Oct. 15 update will be the next test. The county has until 2028 to finish the work. But the clock is already running.
The extension buys time. It does not fix the underlying problem. The county was on track to miss six of 11 projects, and the commissioner has now said the victims will suffer if the work does not get done.
Here is what needs to happen:
- The flood-control district needs to explain why it missed the deadlines.
- The district needs to show commissioners court and the public how it will use the extra year to finish the work.
- The district needs to stop blaming arbitrary rules and start showing results.
The commissioner has said she prays the projects get completed. That is not a plan. The commissioner has also said almost no additional progress has been made. The Oct. 15 update will be the next test. The county has until 2028 to finish the work. But the clock is already running.
Source material: “Harris County gets one-year extension to use federal funds for post-Harvey flood bond projects,” Houston Public Media.
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