Councilman Floyd Emery is running for Re-election in Missouri City, Texas on November 5, 2019

GROUND GAME ...FORT BEND COUNTY

THE MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COUNTY IN AMERICA

PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS©

FORT BEND COUNTY

FBISD Trustee Jim Rice Named PresidentElect of TASB Board of Directors PAGE 4C

FORT BEND ISD STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN 2019 TAPIA SAY STEM CAMP

Pictured are Suhani Shah, Sanjana Mittal, Maya Neti, Akhila Chikkula and Aaron Xu.

F

FORT BEND ISD – Sixteen Fort Bend ISD students were among a select group of students from across the state to attend the 2019 Tapia Say STEM Camp at Rice University. The students include Abdullah Amer, Howard Bartee III, Akhila Chikkula, Austin Merkel, Travis Merkel, Sanjana Mittal, Maya Neti, Kenley Nguyen, Asher Roohullah, Enara Roohullah, Suhani Shah, Anjali Sivasothy, Justin Sivasothy, Rohit Venigalla, Leena Wilson, and Aaron Xu. SEE MORE INFORMATION ON PAGE 5C

Update: Appeals court validates Fort Bend ISD’s legal actions related to discovery of historic cemetery

FBISD Board President Jason Burdine and Chief Operations Officer Oscar Perez at the construction site.

FORT BEND ISD — A three-judge panel of the Houston Court of Appeals issued an opinion validating Fort Bend ISD’s legal actions regarding the Sugar Land 95.

The panel agreed that the District had the right to nonsuit the case and that District Court Judge Jim Shoemake abused his discretion when he appointed a master of chancery and an ad litem, concluding that the appointments were invalid.

The District is moving forward with its plan to reinter the remains of the 95 individuals discovered during the construction of the James Reese Career and Technical Center. It has contracted with a local funeral home to procure appropriate burial vessels and is planning a communitybased memorial to honor and memorialize the Sugar Land 95. The remains will be reinterred to the same locations they were discovered.

“We are grateful for the opinion of the appellate

court that supports the actions taken by Fort Bend ISD,” said FBISD Board President Jason Burdine.

“We look forward to memorializing and honoring the Sugar Land 95 with our community, and our continued work to ensure their lives are not forgotten. Crossing this hurdle now allows us to move forward to finalizing our ongoing negotiations with the county regarding the future conveyance of the land.”

Fort Bend ISD will share more information about reinterment and the pending memorial service once plans are finalized.

In May of 2019, the FBISD Board of Trustees adopted a local social studies standard related to the state-sanctioned convict-leasing system and the local history associated with the Sugar Land 95. This standard was incorporated into the curriculum at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

RE-ELECT FLOYD EMERY FOR MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL — DISTRICT D

“I’M ASKING FOR YOUR VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019.”

Ensure Public Safety Protect Property & Family Values Attract New Businesses w w w EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019 PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER

02C

RE-ELECT FLOYD EMERY FOR MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL — DISTRICT D

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

NONPARTISAN

OPEN-MINDED READERSHIP

INFORMATIVE

ENGAGING

Ensure Public Safety Protect Property & Family Values Attract New Businesses w w w EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

- DISTRICT D -

PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER

MESSAGE FOR RESIDENTS OF MISSOURI CITY

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ALLIANCES HOA/CITY

I take great pride in being responsive to the HOA Boards and the many residents they represent. In addition to attending HOA Board and Annual meetings, I listen and respond to the concerns, suggestions and recommendations of the residents of Quail Valley, sections of Quail Valley East, Lake Olympia, Lakeshore Harbour, Creekmont South , Waterbrook(s), Silver Ridge(s) and other equally important neighborhoods in District D. With the outstanding support and solution-based action of the Missouri City Staff we have made great strides in making Missouri City and District D the place we are proud to call home.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Missouri City continues to be ranked as one of the safest cities in Texas. Our police and fire personnel complimented with the latest equipment, technology, and training required to protect our citizens and safety personnel, has been one of my major priorities. Through the ongoing competitive assessment of our salary and benefit plans we continue to attract and retain quality personnel.

From 2011 thru 2017, we have added 32 additional sworn and non-sworn officers to our police force including the formation of a 4 person motorcycle squad. Additionally, we have provided our officers with Body and Patrol Car Cameras providing an additional level of safety and transparency for our officers and the citizens they serve.

During this same period, we have added 13 additional Firefighters and opened fire station #5 as we strived to maintain our response time standards. Our Fire Department achieved an ISO 1 insurance designation, 1 of only 100 Cities across the nation to receive this highest Insurance classification.

Through these initiatives and actions, Missouri City continues to maintain our ‘Safest Texas City’ designation.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Working with the former Mayor and fellow councilmembers, we have overseen the commercial development of two major business parks in Missouri City.

Lakeview and Park 8/Ninety is home to Ben E Keith, Fed Ex, Best Buy, Niagara Water and over 30 additional well established and recognized businesses. From these and other new businesses we have added over $500 million in new taxable property, provided an employment opportunity for over 1500 new jobs/positions for Missouri City residents and an increase in property tax revenue from our commercial base. With this emphasis on commercial growth we are experiencing a larger share of our property tax revenue from the business sector thereby providing

relief to our residential property tax base citizens.

Our sales tax revenue stream, which is the secondlargest source of revenue, has increased significantly. The expansion of retail businesses along Hwy. 6, FM 1092 and other prime locations are fueling this increase.

SOLID WASTE

In 2016 the City contracted with a single waste management company, and the cost of waste collection to our residents, MUD’s, HOA’s and businesses was lowered by $1.5 million annually. Besides this agreement allowed the City to initiate a recycling program which many citizens had urged us to implement. This recycling program continues to grow as more and more of our citizens recognize the value of recycling.

FINANCIAL AWARENESS

Our City Staff continues to search out opportunities to reduce the cost of doing the business of Missouri City. As an example, in 2017, the cost of funding $72 million of our indebtedness, using lower interest rates available in the bond marketplace, resulted in a $7 million savings to the City.

Missouri City continues to receive high praise and awards for our budget process, the transparency of our financial records all made available to our citizens, regulatory officials, and other stakeholders.

As a result of our fiscal policies, our Bond rating was recently upgraded from AA- to AA thereby providing access to lower interest rates when borrowing is needed.

Our City Manager, Anthony Snipes, has implemented programs that establish our short and long term budget and Capital needs. He has developed a management structure and process that brings all staff members into the budget process thereby promoting ownership of this process. As a result, in the 2018 budget process the staff identified $2.4 million reductions in budget funding requests.

ANIMAL CONTROL

In 2018 the Council called for the examination and inspection of our Animal Shelters’ charter and its associated policies, practices, and funding needs. Through this review, new procedures for our dedicated volunteers were implemented, a policy for the compassionate handling and treatment of pets in City custody was developed, an effective program reuniting lost pets with their owners and policy for finding new homes through the adoption of animals in our care was implemented. To these initiatives the Animal Shelter funding was increased significantly, a full-time Shelter Manager was hired and we contracted with a licensed veterinarian. We are working with this business model and will be diligent to ensure that Missouri City has a humane and comprehensive policy for the care of animals.

During Hurricane Harvey, approximately 360 homes out of an approximate 27,000 homes located in Missouri City had some form of flooding. While one is too many, this experience reflects that our drainage program(s) which includes the use of streets as emergency retention and the designed retention areas around the City was effective. In spite of the enormous amount of rainfall experienced in Missouri City and the flood level on the Brazos River the City’s Emergency Management Operations Center performed effectively and mitigated several potential flooding events in Missouri City.

MOBILITY

This continued to be a major issue and priority over the last few years due to the business and residential growth experienced in Missouri City and the surrounding areas. To mitigate this issue the City has taken action including; the installation of additional turn lanes at major intersections; additional left turn on yellow signals; upgrading equipment needed to synchronize traffic flow at major roads/intersections; signage, restriping and additions of Stop, Yield and speed control signage on major roadways and neighborhood streets. Additionally, certain major mobility projects including the extension of Vicksburg Blvd.to Lake Olympia Parkway, Hurricane Lane roadway completion, traffic control improvements at intersections of Watts Plantation at Sienna Parkway and Ft. Bend Toll Road at Sienna Parkway were undertaken and completed.

INFRASTRUCTURE

From our inventory of infrastructure needs covering streets, sidewalks and bridges the following projects were completed: safety mandated replacement of 2 bridges in QV with a third in design; replacement of Thunderbird street and adjoining sidewalks; section of Misty Hollow street and sidewalks; Ashmont street and sidewalks; major sections of pavement on Cypress Point, La Quinta, El Dorado, Lake Olympia, Crow Valley, Quail Valley East and other areas in need of major repair.

Sidewalks are being repaired or replaced based on a needs and priority assessment recently completed by our Public Works staff and to the extent where funding is available.

QUAIL VALLEY GOLF COURSE AND CITY CENTRE

We continue to monitor the financial and operational health of this amenity. Over the last 4 years, operations and management performance reflect a range of 96% to 103% of revenue to operating cost.

In 2017 this amenity recorded over 60,000 rounds of golf, 161 corporate or charity events and 364 non-golf

www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com DRAINAGE

“This double-page spread is a political advertisement paid for by the Floyd Emery campaign, Fred Grates Treasurer. Please be reminded that Floyd Emery is asking for your vote in the Tuesday, November 5, 2019, race for Missouri City Council District D.”

®

832.212.8735

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

NONPARTISAN

events at the Golf Course and City Centre, thus making it the number one attraction site for visitors and residents (estimated at 130,000) to Missouri City. Many of these events draw sales tax-paying visitors to Missouri City as they utilize the Golf Course, the City Centre venue for special occasions and food and beverage. Equally important is the visitor’s potential use and sales tax generation at other Missouri City retail businesses.

The golf facility caters to many local High School and College boys and girls golf teams, the First Tee at Quail Valley, golfers from all sections of Missouri City and numerous golfing visitors from surrounding Cities, Counties and out of State/Country. Golfers visiting and using our facility cut across all age groups, gender and demographic lines truly reflecting a balanced use of the Golf Course and City Centre at Missouri City.

When assessing the value of this amenity to Missouri City, the demonstrated fact that home values in Quail Valley and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods were stabilized and increased by the City’s purchase and rebuilding of this amenity. This action translates into an increase in residential property tax revenue thereby offsetting the payment of the property acquisition Bonds that were approved overwhelmingly by the citizens of Missouri City.

be diligent in the application of tax abatements where the value to Missouri City must be the determining factor.

Small business initiatives will have a place in the economic development strategy. Retail and commercial business along Hwy 6, Hwy 90, FM 1092 and the Texas Parkway/Cartwright corridors will continue to be an important segment in the overall economic development strategy.

Redevelopment of Texas Parkway and Cartwright Road properties will continue to be a priority when developing our overall economic development plan.

I will continue to support the build-out of Lakeview and Park8/Ninety business Parks.

ACTION ITEMS FOR 2019 AND BEYOND PUBLIC SAFETY

We must continue to maintain our status as one of the Safest Cities in Texas. To that end I will be supporting the following actions: Maintain a competitive Salary structure and Benefits package for our Public Safety personnel.

Ensure adequate funding for equipment, services, and training needed to perform their duties.

Support the building of Fire Station #6 and acquisition of the needed personnel and equipment Provide funding for the staffing of the police and fire operations needed to meet our public safety expectations.

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Currently, we provide a homestead exemption of $15,000 to residents age 65 and over and who have designated their home as a homestead. This exemption provides approximately $500,000 annually in tax relief. In the 2019 budget process I will be asking my Council colleagues to consider a separate $10,000 Homestead exemption for all residents who have designated their home as a homestead. To place this in perspective, a $10,000 exemption would give residents approximately $1.2 million in tax relief or $63/year for each homestead. This would require an increase in revenue from other sources, a reduction of our annual budgeted expenditures and for the City Council to establish a priority for this offering above other services/projects covered in our annual budget.

RETIREMENT BENEFIT REVIEW

For those employees who have retired or will retire before January 1, 2020, certain health benefits and cost were promised to these retirees. The City should continue to honor these commitments. Health benefits and cost for future retirees should be reviewed for competitiveness and options available in the public/private sector and presented to Council for consideration.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

We will continue to evaluate those areas of developable land in our comprehensive land-use plan. Areas along the Fort Bend Toll Road, Hwy 6 south and Hwy 90 at the Beltway will be of prime interest. Missouri City has a limited number of open tracts of land available for development. We must where possible push for best land use and

OPEN-MINDED READERSHIP

MOBILITY

To mitigate certain traffic issues, we will implement recommendations from a recent traffic study of FM 1092 from 5th St. to Hwy 6.

Complete the replacement/construction of Knight Rd., Watts Plantation, Trammell Fresno Rd. to FM 521, the extension of Ft. Bend Toll Road and for safety purposes the closing of Cravens Rd. at Hwy 90.

DRAINAGE

We have requested and expect to receive approximately $950,000 to complete the drainage plan for the Cangelosi Watershed. As Board Chairman of H-GAC (Houston Galveston Area Council), I was able to bring to the attention of our staff the opportunity for funds from an H-GAC process for which they submitted a grant funding request.

We will be investigating major drainage flow issues to determine if there was an impact from Hurricane Harvey or other high water events. Any found will be considered as a potential candidate for remediation by the City or other governmental entities.

INFRASTRUCTURE

We must continue to work on those known projects that are in most need of repairs or replacement. The City must decide on how best to address these needs and the funding of these projects. We will continue to utilize the approximately $3.9 million annual rebate from Metro, existing funds from prior transportation bonds and our interlocal arrangements with Ft. Bend County where they partner with the City on mutually beneficial projects.

These revenue sources are important when examining the overall cost of a major infrastructure program. However, additional funding will be required if we are to make a serious impact on our overall infrastructure needs.

PARKS

Missouri City is home to 20 parks covering over 400 acres. Our Parks are an important City amenity and a key factor when businesses and residents consider moving to our City. The City recently completed a Park's assessment where maintenance or replacement of key park elements was identified. To address and fund these needs we will continue to use our available park funds and to reach out to our business and public partners for Grant opportunities. Our efforts to date have been encouraging. A grant from Lowes for $50,000 replaced playground equipment at QV North Park. A $65,000 grant was received from Niagara Water to be used for Community Park projects. The City provided land and a grounds maintenance commitment in Mac Naughton Park to QV Fund HOA who in return committed over $250,000 to install major playground equipment, a pavilion for family gatherings, outdoor exercise equipment, and restroom facilities. BC/BS of Texas and Kaboom have donated time and dollars for improvements and additions at Rhone Park.

Freedom Tree Park

I co-chair with Council Member Jeffrey Boney the Freedom Tree Park Committee comprised of public and educational officials, private citizens, and community

INFORMATIVE

ENGAGING

03C

stakeholders. Our charge is to transform the existing passive park in Lake Olympia to one that captures the history and cultural relevance of the Freedom Tree and to find the necessary private/public /grant funding needed to implement a reimagined design for the park.

First Tee at Quail Valley

The City has allocated parkland to be used as an expansion of the First Tee of Houston at Quail Valley. For context, this program uses the medium of golf to teach and instill their 9 core values in kids from age 7 to 14. Its roots in Quail Valley were planted 7 years ago with 15 kids and today has over 500 kids in the program with a waiting list. Most of the students are from Missouri City and Ft. Bend County and the demographics reflect diversity similar to that of Ft. Bend County and Missouri City.

This program which uses the Quail Valley Golf Course and City Centre has outgrown their allocated space and now requires a separate and dedicated area for continued growth. This is not a City program rather it has been allowed to use QV facilities and the committed Park land for this growing program. I will be working with the QV LGA, MGA and other stakeholders to acquire private funding to build the facility needed to continue to allow this program to grow.

MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT (MUD) STRATEGIC PLAN

I, along with my fellow councilmembers will be reviewing the results of the current consolidation study to determine if there is value to our residents, the City and current stakeholders. Key to a decision to embark on this venture must be the stated value to our residents, investment requirements and operating demands placed on the City.

We currently have an established business model in place (MUD’s) that for over 30 years has adequately supplied our requirements for water, wastewater, storm sewer capacity and maintenance at rates extremely competitive with surrounding cities and counties. For me, any consideration to consolidate a MUD or MUD’s must provide compelling evidence of its value to the City and the Citizens of Missouri City.

ANIMAL CONTROL

I will continue to monitor the results of the business model we put into place last year to ensure it is meeting the stated goals for our Shelter.

QUAIL VALLEY GOLF AND CITY CENTRE

We will be reviewing the recommendations of the current ongoing Golf Course and City Centre evaluation study to ensure we are effectively managing this amenity.

Any option that would degrade the value or scope of this amenity with its associated negative impact on home values in Quail Valley and the surrounding neighborhoods for me will not be acceptable.

FBISD COORDINATION

With the continued and forecasted growth in residential properties and its potential impact on FBISD educational facilities, I will be asking the City staff to explore from a legal and development aspect a student loading consideration into our discussions with developers, home builders, and the FBISD Board. Currently we are experiencing another controversial zoning issue that impacts many of the middle and high schools in Missouri City. In fairness to our residents we need to explore what actions if any we can take to mitigate or lessen this impact in the future.

As a caveat to the ‘Action Items for 2019 and Beyond ’, our State Legislature is currently considering a 2.5% cap when calculating our Rollover Tax Rate. Should this be approved, the reduction in property tax revenue to the City will have an impact on the viability of these new offerings and current City Services.

Any comments or questions related to these accomplishments are welcomed and can be directed to femery@missouricitytx.gov

RE-ELECT FLOYD EMERY FOR MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL — DISTRICT D

Ensure Public Safety Protect Property & Family Values Attract New Businesses w w w EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019 PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER

04C

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

NONPARTISAN

OPEN-MINDED READERSHIP

INFORMATIVE

ENGAGING

F

FORT BEND ISD TRUSTEE JIM RICE NAMED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF TASB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FORT BEND ISD — Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustee Jim Rice has been named PresidentElect of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). The association elected its 2019-20 officers during its recent Delegate Assembly and Convention in Dallas.

Rice was elected to the TASB Board of Directors in 2012. A graduate of Leadership TASB, he chaired the Legislative Committee during the recent 86th legislative session and during the 84th session. He has held several board positions, including Chair of the Legislative Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee, Secretary/Treasurer, 2nd Vice President and 1st Vice President. He has also served on the Nominations, and Planning and Development committees. He is a strong advocate for public education and works for the benefit of FBISD students and staff. In 2021, FBISD students will be showcased at the TASB General Session.

Rice joined the FBISD School Board in May 2010. He was elected board secretary in June 2011 and board president in 2012, serving two consecutive terms in that office.

Rice is the president of Rice and Gardner Consultants, Inc., an engineering and construction management firm. In addition to his professional duties, he currently serves as the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Education Division Vice-Chair and is a 2005 graduate of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Forum Class. He is also involved in numerous civic organizations for Fort Bend County, including Fort Bend Cares, the Fort Bend Literacy Council, the Fort Bend P16 Regional Council, and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council. Rice is cofounder of the charity Fort Bend Cares, which benefits underprivileged youth in the community.

www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com Jim Rice is the Fort Bend Independent School District Board Member for Position #3

“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

®

832.212.8735

FBISD STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN 2019 TAPIA SAY STEM CAMP

F

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

FORT BEND ISD – Sixteen Fort Bend ISD students were among a select group of students from across the state to attend the 2019 Tapia Say STEM Camp at Rice University. The students include Abdullah Amer, Howard Bartee III, Akhila Chikkula, Austin Merkel, Travis Merkel, Sanjana Mittal, Maya Neti, Kenley Nguyen, Asher Roohullah, Enara Roohullah, Suhani Shah, Anjali Sivasothy, Justin Sivasothy, Rohit Venigalla, Leena Wilson, and Aaron Xu. Sponsored by ExxonMobil, the summer camp is available to rising 8-12 grade students and features a weeklong residential experience with a challenging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum. Camp participants experiment with hands-on STEM projects, like building miniature wind turbines using household items such as glue, cardstock and popsicle sticks.

At the same time, students enhance their communication skills by learning how to simplify

NONPARTISAN

OPEN-MINDED READERSHIP

INFORMATIVE

ENGAGING

05C

complicated STEM ideas via graphic drawings and an endof-camp oral presentation – all while experiencing life on a university campus.

About the Tapia Center

The Richard Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity at Rice University was founded in 1995 to promote greater participation of underrepresented minorities and women in the sciences and engineering and empower them to be future leaders. Since inception, the Tapia Center has provided direct training and guidance to more than 6,000 students and 2,500 teachers and educated nearly 250,000 students and professionals about the importance of diversity and representation. The Center’s founder, Dr. Richard Tapia, is a national leader in education and outreach, and internationally known for his research in the computational and mathematical sciences.

ELECTION/ELECCIÓN

Shown are Rohit Venigalla, Anjali Sivasothy, Justin Sivasothy, Leena Wilson, Kenley Nguyen and Abdullah Amer.

FORMER MAYOR ALLEN OWEN: “Don’t forget to cast your ballot for Floyd Emery in the race for Missouri City Council District D”

D

During the October 17, 2016, Regular City Council meeting, Councilmembers voted 4-3 to approve a resolution that moved the City's general elections from May to November.

In accordance with the Texas Election Code, the City of Missouri City will hold a General Election on November 5, 2019.

Positions and candidates on the Ballot:

District A City Councilmember Reginald B. Pearson Cheryl Sterling

District B City Councilmember Jeffrey L. Boney JaPaula Kemp

District C City Councilmember Anthony G. Maroulis Raj Joseph Steve Okoroha S.A.M. Chatriwala

Floyd Emery

District D City Councilmember

EARLY VOTING BEGINS: Monday, October 21, 2019

EARLY VOTING ENDS: Friday, November 1, 2019

ELECTION DAY: November 5, 2019

Allen

OWEN

RE-ELECT FLOYD EMERY FOR MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL — DISTRICT D Cindy Forney

PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER

Ensure Public Safety Protect Property & Family Values Attract New Businesses w w w EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019 PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER

06C

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

MEET THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS ONLINE AT: WWW.FORTBENDTX.GOV

F

NONPARTISAN

OPEN-MINDED READERSHIP

INFORMATIVE

ENGAGING

THE MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COUNTY IN AMERICA

Fort Bend County strives to be the most family friendly community in Texas by providing a high quality, enriching and safe environment. Each department and elective office provides fast, friendly service to its customers and continually strives to be number one in efficiency and effectiveness. The Commissioners Court fulfills its leadership role by providing necessary resources to the offices and departments to accomplish their duties and goals by establishing budgets, policies and procedures to make the most efficient use of the resources and by actively pursuing quality businesses to locate in Fort Bend County.

The Gulf of Mexico is located only 50 miles from Fort Bend County and its close proximity helps to hold the summer and winter temperatures to moderate levels. Extremes in climatic changes are usually short in duration.

View current weather conditions.

Natural Resources

Fort Bend County has approximately 11 square miles of surface water in rivers, creeks and small lakes. The County is drained by the Brazos and San Bernard Rivers as well as Oyster Creek. The Brazos River formed a broad alluvial valley, up to ten miles wide in places. The

resulting fertile soils have been a major contributing factor to the agricultural industry in the County.

The three permanently floatable waterways in Fort Bend County are the Brazos River, the San Bernard River south of Farm to Market Road 442, and Oyster Creek south of State Highway 6. The San Bernard River south of Interstate Highway 10 is a seasonally floatable waterway, shared on the west with adjacent counties. Soils vary from the rich alluvial soils in the Brazos River Valley to sandy loam and clay on the prairies. Native trees include pecan, oak, ash and cottonwood, with some old bottomland forests remaining along waterways.

Mineral resources include oil, gas, and sulfur. Sand, clay, and gravel are commercially produced.

Location

Fort Bend County is located in the Houston metropolitan area of southeast Texas. It encompasses a total of 875.0 square miles (562,560 acres). The terrain varies from level to gently rolling with elevations from 46 to 127 feet above sea level, with an average elevation of 85 feet.

US 59 traverses the center of the County from northeast to southwest, while US 90A crosses from east to west.

State Highways (SH) 6, 36 and 99 provide important north-south routes. Neighboring counties are Austin, Brazoria, Harris, Waller and Wharton.

Climate

WWW.FORTBENDCOUNTYTX.GOV The growing season is 296 days, with an average annual rainfall of 45.3 inches. The average first freeze date in the fall is December 7, and the average last freeze date is February 14. Temperatures range from a mean minimum in January of 41º to a mean maximum in July of 93º.

MANISH SETH REPUBLICAN PARTY PRIMARY — TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE DISTRICT 27 MANISH SETH: “First and foremost, I am a family man. I have been married to my wife, Rumana, for over 20 years. We are blessed to have two wonderful daughters. My priority in life is to be the best husband and father to these three remarkable women God has so graciously put in my life.

My roots are in this Fort Bend community. I am a proud member and contributor to the community that has given me so much. I have served this community tirelessly by dedicating time to causes near and dear to my heart. As a Board Member & Treasurer on the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, I worked closely with small businesses to ensure they had the most prudent growth strategies. I have also served on AccessHealth (Board Member), Cullinan Park Conservancy Board (Board Member), Ridge Point Orchestra Booster Association (Treasurer), and Fort Bend Republican Party (Treasurer). Most recently, I was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the One Call Commission Board, which has allowed me to serve at the State level.

I was raised in this area and was able to take the opportunities presented to me and capitalize on them. I plan to take my experiences and work to bring opportunities to District 27. I want to bring a perspective of knowing the area since childhood to our House seat, and to use my experiences in growing a business, hiring people, and working with others to build our District 27 House seat.”

TRUSTWORTHY COMMITTED DEDICATED QUALIFIED HONEST

www.seth4state.com

Political Ad Paid for by Manish Seth, Candidate for Texas House of Representatives District 27, Andrew Barbe. Treasurer

There are several areas I want to focus on:

Education: We have to work with the local schools to continue providing a long-term educational plan for our children. This includes providing activities to enhance learning after normal school hours. It also means finding ways to provide skills to help the next generation transition from high school and skills to help when they enter the workforce. But it’s not just the children; it’s also the teachers. Making sure our teachers are paid fairly and are given the necessary resources from the State.

Business: District 27 is rapidly changing, and as data shows, many new people are moving to our District. With the influx of people, the District needs to continue to promote business and provide a pro-business growth environment. Local businesses that provide jobs must become a priority. To attract businesses to our community, infrastructure planning must happen at the State level. From my experience working with start-ups to large companies, I believe I have the skills of a “Business Acumen” to take this to the State Legislature to advocate on behalf of our District.

Healthcare: As someone who deals with several different healthcare clients, and through my work with AccessHealth, I have seen first-hand the need for healthcare services in our District. I also have experience in working to make sure it comes in a cost-efficient manner. We must look at ways to make sure our State is taking care of Texans, all Texans. Whether it’s our children, the elderly, or our veterans, we must ensure healthcare is accessible to all.

Property Taxes: We live in a very desirable District. As the demand for property in our area increases, so does our property taxes. Property tax laws have changed, and I will monitor to make certain the changes are positive for District 27.

Floyd

www.floydemery.com

EMERY

MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT D Councilman Floyd Emery To Seek Re-election for Missouri City Council - District D Floyd Emery announced he would seek another term on the Missouri City Council representing District D in the upcoming November 05, 2019 City election.

Emery was first elected to that position in May of 2011 and has run opposed in all subsequent elections.

He contributes running unopposed in 3 election cycles to his ability to keep his platform promises and to connect with his constituents on issues important to them.

“I am seeking reelection on a platform heavy into Public Safety which includes the building of Fire Station 6; maintaining the scope of services provided by the Quail Valley Golf Course and City Centre while stressing its importance on home values in Quail Valley; continuing our economic development strategy where many nationally known businesses such as Niagara Water, Ben E. Keith, Comcast, Fed Ex, Best Buy have selected Missouri City as their business location bringing substantial capital investments and job opportunities to our city; transparency of our financial and operating records including City Council actions; a continuation of building and strengthening our alliances with our many HOA Boards and a commitment to maintain our current City Council/City Manager form of City Government.”

“Missouri City needs an experienced and dedicated Council member to address the critical ongoing issues of Mobility, Drainage, and Infrastructure demands. Upcoming issues such as FBISD Coordination, MUD study evaluation, Parks evaluation, Homestead exemption evaluation, and Animal Control

PAID POL. AD BY FLOYD EMERY CAMPAIGN, FRED GRATES, TREASURER protocol are areas that also demand a seasoned Council member with a broad range of financial and operational experience.”

Emery asks “why to change your Council repre-

sentative when in the current councilmember you have experience, dependability, and commitment to the position, service-oriented to constituents needs and one with a full range of knowledge and experience in most of the issues now facing our City.” “ I am proud to be associated with a city council where during my tenure Missouri City has and continues to be recognized as one of the safest cities in Texas, one of the most diverse cities in the state, best city to live in and most affordable for homebuyers among many other awards and recognitions.”

“I am asking the constituents of District D to allow me to complete many of the initiatives I have outlined in my plans for Missouri City by reelecting me for another term on the City Council.”

Emery is a 40 year resident of Missouri City all in District D, married to Linda for 60 years with two grown sons both educated in the Ft. Bend school system.

In addition to the City, Council Emery continues to be active in community organizations as past president of QV Proud, an active member of the QV/Missouri City Exchange Club, co-chair of the Missouri City Police Officers Association annual fundraising golf tournament and heavy involvement in the Quail Valley First Tee program.

For more detailed information on his accomplishments and plans for the future, visit www.floydemery.com or follow him on his Facebook page.

RE-ELECT FLOYD EMERY FOR MISSOURI CITY COUNCIL — DISTRICT D

“I’M ASKING FOR YOUR VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019.”

Ensure Public Safety Protect Property & Family Values Attract New Businesses w w w EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019