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Harrison County backs Tally Water Supply’s CDBG application amid concerns about outside water diversion
Summary
The Harrison County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to sponsor Tally Water Supply Corp.’s application for the Texas Community Development Block Grant program, after public comment and commissioners raised concerns about downstream easements and possible water diversion to outside cities. Commissioners also said they would consider a resolution opposing transfer if warranted.
The Harrison County Commissioners Court on a 5–0 vote agreed to sponsor Tally Water Supply Corp.’s application for the Texas Community Development Block Grant funding cycle administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The vote came after public comment and an extended discussion in which residents and local business leaders urged the court to scrutinize easements and downstream impacts. Brad Robinson, introduced by the presiding official as “our local president of Cadence Bank,” told commissioners he was concerned about easements and downstream rights and urged caution before approving actions that could affect local water resources.
Commissioners pressed on the timing and scope of any county response. One commissioner said the county should consider drafting a formal resolution to oppose outside water transfers if necessary and noted the speed of some approvals elsewhere: “Water is like time. Once you use it, it’s gone,” the commissioner said. The same commissioner added, “I just don’t think we should give up our resources in East Texas for Dallas to prosper,” framing worries about potential large industrial uses referenced in public comments.
Court staff clarified that the county’s current action was limited to sponsoring Tally Water Supply’s grant application for the next funding round; the sponsorship does not itself authorize construction, sale, or transfer of water rights and would not substitute for required easements or regulatory approvals. Commissioners agreed to support the application while also asking that one of them draft a resolution to oppose any outside diversion if legal or procedural grounds emerge.
The motion to sponsor the application passed unanimously. The court did not take a separate formal vote to draft a resolution at this meeting, though members discussed convening earlier than the next regularly scheduled meeting if timing required.
What happens next: sponsorship enables Tally Water Supply to submit an application for CDBG funding through the Texas Department of Agriculture. Commissioners said they will monitor the application’s progress, gather additional information on easements and downstream impacts, and may consider a resolution if warranted by new facts or timing constraints.
