Waller County court votes to place countywide assistance-district measure on November ballot

Waller County Commissioner’s Court voted Wednesday to place a countywide county assistance district measure on the November ballot and to call the 2025 general election, moving forward a proposal to make one remaining penny of local sales tax available for county projects.

The court approved two separate motions — one to call the county assistance district election and a second to call the election — after a brief public comment period and an earlier workshop on the district proposal.

The court and county staff have described the county assistance district as a mechanism that would allow the county to assess the remaining penny of sales tax currently flowing to the state (one other penny is dedicated to the emergency services district). County officials said the ballot language and the measure’s form are prescribed by state law and that if voters approve the measure the county would have authority to use the revenue on five broadly defined categories, including mobility and transportation; emergency services; law enforcement; parks and workforce and vocational training; and economic development.

Why it matters: County leaders said the sales tax penny is already being paid by local shoppers and they argued…