On May 12, 2015, Houston City Council passed Resolution No. 2015-19 — formally establishing the Hiram Clarke / Fort Bend Redevelopment Authority as a public nonprofit corporation to implement the infrastructure and economic development goals of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 25.
The resolution, which appeared as Item #11 on the council’s consent agenda, approved the Authority’s Certificate of Formation and Bylaws and confirmed the appointment of its initial board of directors and chairperson. It is the culmination of a two-year legislative effort championed by District K Council Member Larry Green — the driving force behind TIRZ 25 since its inception.
What the Authority means for this community:
The Redevelopment Authority gives TIRZ 25 something a zone designation alone cannot provide — an independent corporate entity with the legal power to:
- issue bonds
- enter into construction contracts
- employ staff and consultants and
- manage projects directly
Where the TIRZ designation captures the tax increment, the Authority is the engine that puts those dollars to work.
The practical impact is significant.
The Authority can now move faster on the roads, sidewalks, lighting, drainage and public spaces this community has needed for decades — without routing every action through City Hall’s broader bureaucracy. It can negotiate directly with developers, partner with Fort Bend County on cross-jurisdictional projects and contract with engineering and planning firms on its own terms.
The foundation was laid over two years:
Resolution No. 2015-19 is the capstone of a sequence of legislative actions that began in August 2013:
- August 7, 2013 — Houston City Council passed Ordinance No. 2013-708, officially designating TIRZ 25 and establishing the zone’s 30-year duration through December 31, 2042.
- October 28, 2013 — City Council confirmed a seven-member board of directors to govern the zone.
- November 7, 2013 — The inaugural board meeting convened at Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center with Chairman Theadore Andrews presiding — open to the public from day one.
- March 25, 2015 — City Council approved both the FY2015 operating budget (Ordinance No. 2015-221) and the interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County (Ordinance No. 2015-220), enabling tax increment collection across two counties.
- May 12, 2015 — Resolution No. 2015-19 creates the Redevelopment Authority, completing the institutional framework.
The board:
The Authority’s initial board of directors mirrors the existing TIRZ 25 board — ensuring continuity of leadership and community accountability:
- Theadore Andrews — Chairman (Position 2)
- George Anderson — Director (Position 3)
- Rosemary Capetillo — Director (Position 1)
- Linda Scurlock — Director (Position 4)
- Homer Clark — Director (Position 5)
- Kevin Riles — Director (Position 6)
- Horace Allison — Director (Position 7, Fort Bend County Appointee)
Positions 1 through 6 are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. Position 7 is appointed by Fort Bend County — reflecting the zone’s unique cross-county geography spanning both Harris and Fort Bend counties.
Council Member Larry Green’s stance on the milestone:
Council Member Green, who grew up in the Hiram Clarke neighborhood and has been the principal architect of TIRZ 25 from its earliest planning stages, has consistently framed the zone as a vehicle for community self-determination. He has noted that before the TIRZ existed, the tax dollars generated in southwest Houston were spread across the entire city — and the infrastructure improvements this community needed were deferred for years, sometimes decades.
The creation of the Redevelopment Authority ensures those dollars now have a dedicated, transparent, publicly governed entity to manage them — accountable not to the city at large, but to the residents and stakeholders of southwest Houston.
What comes next:
With the Authority now formally established, the board will move forward on implementing the TIRZ 25 Project Plan — which outlines more than $150 million in recommended public improvements over the zone’s 30-year lifespan. Priority areas include roadway and sidewalk improvements, drainage infrastructure, public utility upgrades, parks and recreational facilities, economic development incentives, and beautification and blight removal.
The Authority’s board meets monthly and all meetings are open to the public. Meeting schedules and agendas will be posted as they become available.
For questions or more information, contact the Hiram Clarke Fort Bend Redevelopment Authority at info@hiramclarkefortbend.com or (713) 578-7401.