Leaked documents indicate Noriega refused to attend training after facing accusations of sexual harassment.
Berry’s term, which lasted for less than two years, has overseen the expansion of county government.
Harris County claims it never adopted an annualized budget for 2022 and that it gave Constable Heap’s office a greater percentage of the total budget.
The comptroller’s analysis determined that Harris County reduced funds for law enforcement, but Harris County says the comptroller’s math is faulty.
The comptroller’s analysis found Harris County reduced at least one constable’s budget by more than $2.3 million for 2023.
The sheriff’s newly added data changes percentages of increase or decrease for some categories, but the year-to-date reports are preliminary and incomplete.
The district attorney’s office says David Berry used incomplete and incorrectly skewed data to claim violent crime has fallen.
In retaliation, Commissioner Garcia flagged projects to be held in GOP precincts including road repairs, intersection improvements, and a flood and drainage master plan.
Alexandra del Moral Mealer called for a plan to increase county law enforcement staffing by 1,000 officers to combat a dramatic rise in crime since 2019.
The county defended taking rollover funds from law enforcement agencies, but Lina Hidalgo and commissioners will keep such funds in the proposed budget.
The county must seek voter approval for a budget that reduces law enforcement funding or property taxes will be frozen at the no-new-revenue rate.
