Harris County

Judge temporarily blocks Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s ruling that Harris County ‘defunded’ law enforcement

Posted on · Hegar ruled in February that the county had violated a 2021 law by reducing Constable Ted Heap’s budget without voter approval. County Attorney Christian Menefee said Hegar’s math was wrong.

Politics

State comptroller freezes Harris County’s ability to raise taxes, saying its 2023 budget unlawfully cut funding to constables

Posted on · Comptroller Glenn Hegar ruled the county had violated a 2021 law barring local governments from “defunding” law enforcement agencies without voter approval.

Energy & Environment

Maintenance for flood control projects to face delays as Harris County agency deals with a smaller budget

Posted on · Regular maintenance is critical for flood mitigation projects to work as they’re supposed to. But the Harris County Flood Control District’s maintenance budget isn’t keeping pace with its growing portfolio of projects.

Property Taxes

Politics

What a $50 savings per taxpayer is costing Harris County residents

Posted on · Republican officials contend last fall’s boycott of Harris County Commissioners Court was more than worth it, forcing cuts to what they saw as a bloated budget and granting relief to taxpayers burdened by inflation. But the bill is coming due in the form of starved departments and fewer services.

Houston Matters

What might happen when county commissioners fully reconvene for the first time in weeks (Nov. 2, 2022)

Posted on · On Wednesday's show: It could be a testy morning at Harris County Commissioners Court, where the five members will meet for the first time in weeks to officially sign off on a "no new revenue" budget.

Harris County

Harris County Republican commissioners continue boycott of court meetings over tax rates

Posted on · Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey had sought a special, discussion-only meeting to hammer out a compromise on taxes and the budget. They got it, but refused to attend, claiming Commissioner Adrian Garcia was negotiating in bad faith.

Houston Matters

Compromise offered over county budget, and restaurants where you should never skip dessert (Oct. 5, 2022)

Posted on · On Wednesday's show: We learn about the compromise one commissioner is proposing over the county budget. Then we discuss the week in politics. And food writers talk about Houston restaurants where you should never skip dessert.