Texas water board seeks 50 new staff to manage Prop 4 funding surge as programs face unprecedented demand

Texas water board seeks 50 new staff to manage Prop 4 funding surge as programs face unprecedented demandThe Texas Water Development Board has approved its 2028-2029 budget request, highlighting a critical need for administrative capacity as its SWIFT and WSIG funding programs become severely oversubscribed.

The TWDB approved its FY 2028-2029 Legislative Appropriations Request, which includes a $12.6 million exceptional item for 50 new financial assistance positions.

The new staff will help the agency prepare for anticipated funding from Proposition 4 sales tax revenue transfers.

The State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) was competitive for the first time this year, while the new Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) program received 682 applications.

The budget request also includes $31.4 million for IT modernization, including a new system for tracking water loss and conservation.

An additional $2.5 million was requested to hire five staff members to administer an increasing volume of federal Flood Mitigation Assistance grants.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved its Fiscal Year 2028-2029 Legislative Appropriations Request on August 14, 2026, highlighting a critical need for additional personnel to manage a surge in demand for municipal water and wastewater funding. At the center of the agency's request is a $12.6 million "Exceptional Item Request" to fund 50 new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions dedicated to financial assistance staffing. According to TWDB staff, these positions are critical to ensuring the delivery of financial assistance to Texas communities and preparing for anticipated additional funding tied to Proposition 4 sales tax revenue transfers, which established the Texas Water Fund. The push for more administrative capacity comes as the TWDB faces unprecedented demand across its funding portfolios. During the meeting, Director Ashley Morgan noted that the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) was competitive for the first time this year, forcing the agency to turn away applicants. Furthermore, the newly established Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) program has already received 682 applications. "We're in new territory, it seems. This agency is having to say no more and more," Morgan said. "It's new for SWIFT. And now we have WSIG this time around... that again are certainly overprescribed." The base budget request reflects a substantial top-line reduction compared to the previous biennium, though staff clarified this is primarily due to the removal of one-time appropriations from the previous legislative session, including $1.025 billion for the WSIG program. The agency is currently working with the state's Legislative Budget Board to ensure that expected Proposition 4 revenues for 2028 and 2029 are properly appropriated in the upcoming legislative session. Beyond staffing, the TWDB's budget request includes several other water-focused exceptional items. The agency is seeking $31.4 million for information technology modernization, which will fund critical upgrades including a new Water Loss Use and Conservation system and an Integrated Project Management System. The board is also requesting funds to bolster its flood management capabilities, including $2.5 million for a flood-hardened streamflow gauge network and $2.5 million for five new FTEs to oversee an increasing volume of Flood Mitigation Assistance grants awarded to Texas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.