Voters soundly reject proposed 'Water Treatment Plant'

By Staff Writer - Houston Today Published: April 04, 2011 7:05 AM

The Saturday, April 2 referendum for a $4.2 million water treatment plant in the District of Houston has been soundly rejected by the voters. Preliminary voting results indicate there were 349 people who voted ‘no’ while 63 voted ‘yes’.  There were   412  people who voted in the referendum. Chief election officer Linda Poznikoff said there were about 1,000 people eligible to vote in this referendum. That computes to about a 40 per cent turnout of eligible voters.There were two advance polls held; one on March 23 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and another on March 28. The total number that voted in the advance polls were 106.As proposed in the referendum, water parcel taxes would have increased about 10 per cent for 2011 and starting in 2012 water parcel taxes would have increased over 30 per cent a year over the next 25 years. In addition, utility billings for operating expenses would increase about 16 per cent a year.