Senator Ellis to Host Town Hall on Houston Community College Annexation

Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) will host a town hall meeting on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at Elmore Middle School, 8200 Tate St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed annexation by the Houston Community College System (HCCS) of four new areas into its taxing district, composed of the North Forest, Alief, Katy and Spring Branch school districts.

If brought into the HCCS system, property owners would be assessed a rate of 9.4 cents per $100 valuation of property on top of their current taxes, raising annual property taxes for homeowners in the North Forest community. However, residents in these areas would also see an immediate 50 percent reduction in HCCS tuition costs, which helps those who otherwise cannot afford higher education.

Representatives of the HCCS, as well as local community leaders, will discuss the pros and cons of the proposed annexation and answer questions.

###