By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Galveston’s annual state of the city on Thursday was attended by over 100 residents. Galveston College hosted the evening and the event was open to the public at no cost. Each city department had a representative on hand to answer questions of residents.
“All of our reserves are fully funded,” said Galveston Mayor, Craig Brown. “We gave a property tax rate cut this year, and the city is looking at alternative revenue sources. We asked for a tariff on the passengers for Cruise terminal. Quality of life for residents is our number one goal,” said Mayor Brown.
The city has 50,000-plus residents but attracts up to 6 million tourists each year.
Along with lowering the tax rate, the city leaders were eager to share about the drainage pump system. “Pumps are the solution to move us forward in our water drainage situation,” said Mayor Brown.
“Pumps will not eliminate flooding in Galveston but they will greatly help,” added City Manager Brian Maxwell.
The city was designed with gravity as the driving force for water drainage back in the very beginning. This meant the streets were engineered to be retention basins and water would hang out for longer than an automobile can tolerate, which back then “the horses didn’t mind,” chided Maxwell.
Both Brown and Maxwell emphasized the infrastructure projects that have been ongoing for the past six years are messy as work on the projects continues, but are needed to bring the city up to contemporary standards.
“We have put more drainage in the ground here in the last six years then since the Great Raising was done,” said Maxwell.
The Great Raising was what the city undertook to raise up the entire city and all structures after the hurricane of 1900 devastated the island city.
“We have found storm drains built out of wood in the 1800’s,” Maxwell shared.
Other topics covered included a flyover that will be built at 61st and Broadway; construction is slated to start in 2023. Also, the Battleship USS Texas is to be repaired at Gulf Copper on Pelican Island. Its final docking point is yet to be determined.
