“Council Member Bobby Warren said the use of city reserves will not put the city in any financial jeopardy because general fund reserves are healthy. A draft budget before the purchase was authorized projected the city would have roughly $10.2 million in general fund reserves at the end of fiscal year 2017-18.
‘We will be able to continue to do all the things we need to in terms of making needed capital investments, ensuring we have police and fire services and providing all the services people expect us to provide,’ he said.”
“With developer interest growing, Jersey Village OKs land purchase at Jersey Crossing site“, Community Impact Newspaper, August 7, 2018
“I think we’ve seen a real resurgence in the use of the golf course clubhouse, particularly in the last year or so, for many things other than golf,” Warren said. “I think a rebuild gives us a lot more flexibility. We’re not stuck with one particular concept. The more use we can get out of it for many different things, I think that would really provide good value for the investment we’re making.”
“Jersey Village City Council Discusses Revamping Golf Course Clubhouse into ‘Community Asset’“, Community Impact Newspaper, February 20, 2018
Some citizens have expressed frustration that it’s been more than 19 months since the Tax Day 2016 flooding and they have yet to see shovels in the dirt for new flood mitigation projects, he said.
“It is important, however, that these projects are done correctly,” said Warren. “We must ensure that these projects meet the needs of our community and make the best use of taxpayer money.”
“Jersey Village to Take Another Look at Flood Mitigation Project“, Houston Chronicle, December 5, 2017
A TIRZ is a special zone that can be created by a city in order to incentivize economic development. It works by allowing the city to place new revenue raised by property taxes within the zone into a special fund that can only be used for improvements inside the zone. The Jersey Village Crossing TIRZ is set to expire in 30 years.
The TIRZ board of directors—composed of seven members appointed by council—met Nov. 29 along with Bleess and council liaison Bobby Warren to discuss the next steps to move the project forward.
“Jersey Village Officials Have High Hopes for the Future of Jersey Village Crossing“, Community Impact Newspaper, November 30, 2017
Council Member Bobby Warren provided impetus for consideration of the move to broadcast meetings.
“I ran for office to make local government more accessible to my neighbors,” he said in an email. “Some have the luxury of spare time to attend city council meetings in person every month to better understand how city council is representing the interest of our citizens. The reality, however, is that many people in Jersey Village cannot make it to these meetings. Some may have work schedules that conflict with our meeting times and others have family obligations that keep them away from city hall.”
“Jersey Village to Broadcast Council Meetings“, Houston Chronicle, November 29, 2017
The meetings of the Jersey Village City Council will be live streamed starting in 2018 after the Council unanimously approved on Monday a proposal from Member Bobby Warren.
[…] “I believe that increased transparency is essential to keeping our local government responsive, representative and accountable,” said Warren in a news release.
“Meetings of Jersey Village City Council Will Be Live Streamed“, Houston Public Media, November 21, 2017
“Through implementation of the Jersey Village comprehensive plan, we can develop amenities and attract businesses to our city which will allow us to compete with master planned communities in the area,” [Warren] said. “I want Jersey Village to return to its rightful place as the premiere destination for families and businesses in Northwest Harris County.”
“Bobby Warren Wins Race for Jersey Village City Council“, Community Impact Newspaper, May 6, 2017