Posted on · Budget Director Daniel Ramos said the county’s surplus is entirely the result of settlements with e-cigarette maker JUUL and opioid manufacturers.
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
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.
Posted on · Comptroller Glenn Hegar ruled the county had violated a 2021 law barring local governments from “defunding” law enforcement agencies without voter approval.
Posted on · Harris County commissioners voted 3-1 to provide the funding. Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained and called the request by District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office “extortion.”
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.
Posted on · Public safety officials say they have to cover essential services and new mandates passed by lawmakers with dwindling resources.
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.
Posted on · Wednesday’s meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court brought to an end a two-month fight over the county’s budget and tax rates.
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.
Posted on · Republican Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey boycotted commissioners court for the sixth time in a row, preventing Democrats from adopting proposed lower rates before a Friday deadline.
Posted on · Elections Administrator Clifford Tatum said his office is fully funded for the November elections, but it lacks the funds under the current budget to guarantee the next two elections will run smoothly.
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.
Posted on · Judge Lina Hidalgo signaled Commissioner Jack Cagle’s alternative tax proposal offered a way out of the impasse over setting a new tax rate for Fiscal Year 2023, but time for a compromise is running short.
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.