AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Travis County Commissioners Court for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act to secretly discuss a measure to allocate public money for security enhancements for the personal residence of Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza.
Without providing proper notice or allowing the public to witness the discussion, the Travis County Commissioners Court entered an executive session to discuss “security issues” on March 19, 2024. Immediately afterward, they voted to direct $115,000 from the general fund to the District Attorney’s Office to pay for security at the house of Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza. The public was deprived of the opportunity to comment on the proposal.
These actions violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by failing to give adequate notice of the topics that would be discussed during the executive session. Further, State law only permits governing bodies to enter into an executive session to discuss certain issues. The purpose of this session called by Travis County leaders was to divert taxpayer money for enhanced security at the District Attorney’s personal residence. That topic is not eligible for an executive session under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
“Travis County has illegally abused procedure to conceal self-serving decision-making, to hide from scrutiny, and to prevent citizens from knowing exactly what is being done with their money,” said Attorney General Paxton. “After the Travis County DA’s pro-crime policies have created such dangerous conditions for Austin residents, it is especially ironic that he secretly sought taxpayer-funded security measures for his home.”
To read the filing, click here.
