(FORT BEND COUNTY) – During this week’s Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting, commissioners voted four to one on Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Pretage’s motion to allow the county engineer and the county parks director to develop a program for a possible November mobility and parks bond election.
County Judge KP George was the lone dissenting vote, saying he needs “more information.”
“I don’t see any need for that action,” George said. “I am not against the bond, I am not against issuing bonds to address our needs as a growing county, I just want you to know I am not ready to vote. I still ask my fellow members that it is not warranted, please bring it back next week. I don’t want to vote no on this item, but I need to get more information.”
“I think, Judge, what Commissioner Prestage is saying is we have to get some direction from parks and engineering,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales. “My office has already reached out to municipalities in my district. I think what Commissioner Prestage is asking for today is that we get more detailed information on costs and projects.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy said the information from the engineering and parks departments would help “fill in the gaps.”
“We will have a full picture of that we are looking at in terms of needs,” said McCoy.
Precinct Three Commissioner Andy Meyers repeatedly mentioned the need to consider the county’s $500 million unfunded healthcare benefits for retired county employees that worked for the county for twenty years or longer.
“What happens to our credit rating if we don’t do anything about that?” he asked.