Capital Improvement Program

FY20-24 CIP Program

2020-2024 Capital Improvement Program

Further investment is needed to maintain the Sugar Land Way as the City ages and as the priorities identified by our citizens as important are now exceeding our ability to maintain a flat tax rate – particularly as it relates to capital projects. We believe our City is worth the investment – from maintaining roads and streets, to improving mobility and drainage, to keeping Sugar Land safer than ever before.  

The CIP is a long-range plan that identifies capital projects, provides a planning schedule, and identifies options for financing the plan.  Overall, the program provides a link between the City's comprehensive plan, various master plans, the annual budget, and the five-year financial forecast.  It is revised every year in order to accommodate new projects, reflect changes in ongoing projects, and extend the program an additional year.  As such, staff annually reviews the City's master plans, previously identified projects and requests received from citizens for consideration as part of the process of developing the CIP.  

Five Year Capital Projects

Five Year CIP

Five Year CIP Funding

Five Year CIP Sources

2013 Park Bond Projects

The City Council has directed the City Manager to include issuance of the remaining 2013 voter authorized General Obligation Bonds in the FY20 budget and capital plan, which will allow completion of the remaining projects from the approved propositions. The projects are shown in the proposed Five Year CIP in FY20.

Scopes of the projects are being finalized for inclusion in the FY20 CIP; the projects will include First Colony Trail, Ditch H Trail and Brazos River Park- with a focus on connection between the existing amenities of Brazos River Park and Sugar Land Memorial Park.

Implementation of the final issuance of the park bonds will be funded through a tax rate increase of less than one cent for debt service, which will be offset by an increase to the homestead exemption to 12% of assessed value, which will largely offset the tax rate increase to support the park bond issuance.

FY21-24 GO Bond Program

The City Council has directed the City Manager to prepare options for a General Obligation Bond election - totaling approximately $90 million in projects, to be considered by voters. The current tax rate is able to support a limited issuance of debt for priority projects in FY20, but is unable to support a bond program to fund all identified capital projects.  These projects are included in the Five Year CIP, with timing of individual projects subject to approval by voters and future direction from City Council.

While a portion of the GO bonds can be supported within the current tax rate, an increase in the tax rate of approximately 3 cents is necessary to implement the entire program of priorities that have been identified- primarily drainage, streets and facility improvements. The amount of the increase depends on the final propositions and will be discussed throughout the process.