County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a press conference today, highlighting important investments included in the proposed Harris County budget ahead of Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Daniel Ramos, Executive Director of the Harris County Office of Management and Budget, Dr. Tina Peterson, Executive Director of the Flood Control District, and Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, President and CEO of Harris Health System, also provided additional details about critical budget needs.
Harris County’s proposed $1.4B justice and safety budget makes up 64% of the county’s total general fund proposal. This constitutes a 23% increase since 2019. The sheriff and constables offices would see a total of $96.7 million in increases compared to the last full fiscal year, including funding for at least 35 new violent crime investigators and 100 new detention officers, as well as 22 new prosecutors for the district attorney. The proposed budget would also fund pay raises for all frontline police officers across the sheriff and constables, for a total raise of more than 6% since the last full fiscal year.
“I’m proud to champion a practical, sensible, and realistic budget that both decreases the tax rate for homeowners and adds millions of dollars to public safety, including a substantial pay increase for frontline police officers. Harris County residents deserve a budget that keeps them safe and healthy and that supports critical infrastructure,” Judge Hidalgo said.
Four or more commissioners court members must be present in order to pass the reduced tax rate and corresponding budget. Otherwise, the county would have to consider hiring and spending freezes across all departments. For the sheriff, this could mean losing funding equivalent to the salaries of nearly 300 deputies and more than 350 detention officers at the jail. And for the constables, it could mean losses of funding equivalent to the salaries of approximately 200 deputies. Further, the county would not be able to move forward with additional raises for all frontline officers.
“These decisions affect hardworking Harris County residents and their families, and I’m excited about the potential opportunity to pass a budget that provides important public safety, flood control, and other services. A decision not to move forward with this budget would negatively impact so many people in our community. I look forward to tomorrow’s meeting and hope to see all four of my colleagues there,” continued Judge Hidalgo.