Ellis County approves RHID for Big Creek Estates after public hearing on water, sewer and roads

The Ellis County Commission voted 3-0 on Sept. 16 to adopt Resolution 2025-16 and create the Big Creek Estates Third Edition Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID), approving a development agreement that would allow a private developer to be reimbursed for certain infrastructure costs from incremental property taxes generated by new construction.

The RHID is a tax-increment reimbursement tool that, if used by the developer, would let the county segregate property-tax increments from the newly developed parcels and reimburse the developer for eligible infrastructure costs. The action followed a public hearing at which residents described worries about water availability and quality, rising sewer bills and the condition of local roads.

“It's a reimbursement program,” Gilmore Bell said during the hearing, describing the RHID mechanics: the developer pays initial costs; taxes generated by new valuation above a base assessment are set aside, and the developer can request reimbursement from those segregated funds. Bell added that “if there's nothing constructed, then there would be no incremental tax revenues generated,” and therefore no reimbursements.

Residents who live in and near Big Creek Estates pressed the commission on a range of local impacts. “A lot of the concerns in our area is water. We are all on private water wells,” said Larry Denkel, who said he and neighbors circulated…