The Association's commitment to the Charter Amendment election creating this program was based upon these facts and principals:

• No City can sustain its vibrancy and thus attractiveness of quality of life and employment growth unless it addresses the needs of its critical infrastructure, it is the platform from which a city grows.  To its already stressed drainage and street systems, Houston growth by 2040 will add over 800,000 residents to its population, an increase of 37% from today's population.  This growth will be cause the city to become more dense where drainage systems designed for the first half of the last century.  Roadways too, represent a limiting factor to this growth and must be redesigned and rebuilt for more traffic, improved transit and better pedestrian access.  Add to this, the property losses which occur as a result of insufficient drainage and the needs for more, dedicated financing becomes much clearer.

• A dedicated fee is essential, one that can not be diverted for other purposes.

• Application of the drainage fee on an equitable basis to all properties within the Houston city limits is essential.  All properties will use the drainage system and benefit from its improvement.  Including fees on new development.

• Projects selected and funded under the Rebuild Houston program must be programmed in an objective manner and prioritized on the "worst first" regardless of location in the city.