No running water, no sewerage lines, and impassible streets are all conditions that dozens of families in Prarie View say they’ve been subjected to for years despite paying city taxes.
Those on the city council blame it on budgetary mistakes and a dysfunctional municipal government, but now some city leaders are promising that things are about to change.
Alicia Ruiz is one of dozens of people who have a property in the Villla Capri community of Prarie View without water or sewerage.
She says she has to rent elsewhere because her land is unlivable.
“I paved a lot of lots on this street and the other street. Mucho dinero,” said Jose Martinez, another resident.
He adds that, with years of nothing being done, he’s used his own money to have some of the streets paved and has installed water lines for himself and a few others nearby.
“The people here have been on septic tanks for the last several years. The city is responsible to provide water and we have not done so,” said Position 5 City Councilman Malcolm Jackson.
Jackson has been in the seat for one year. He says before he took the position, there was a water and sewerage project in the works under the former Mayor David Allen in 2019, but it was stopped after it was revealed that money from the project was coming from the wrong part of the budget.
“Once it became found out by some of the rest of council, the project was then halted under the new administration of now former Mayor Brian Roland,” Jackson said.
We spoke with former Mayor Allen who is now a Position 1 Councilman. He admits to the error and says he tried to amend the budget several times so the project could continue, but the council wouldn’t pass the vote.
Years later, the project still hasn’t been picked back up.
“The city council has not been functioning. Unfortunately, [due to] some of the things with the current mayor and city council, they haven’t been able to have a meeting. Our first meeting was a month ago,” Allen said.
Councilman Allen says change is on the horizon. He pointed out that at last month’s meeting, crucial contracts were approved and next week residents can begin to see sewerage lines being put in followed by rocky streets being paved.
Martinez said after countless broken promises, he simply doesn’t believe them anymore. He said he’ll believe it when he sees crews breaking ground.