Although the parties have agreed the county may adopt a budget, the war of words between the comptroller and commissioners has continued.
Commissioners voted 3 to 1 to hire two outside legal firms to fight state-imposed repercussions for defunding police.
The county defended taking rollover funds from law enforcement agencies, but Lina Hidalgo and commissioners will keep such funds in the proposed budget.
As the region grapples with rising homicide rates and concern over the county’s criminal justice policies and funding, Hidalgo faces challenges from both major political parties.
A sergeant publicly described his interactions with Hidalgo in which she reportedly said, “This is a county event. I’m the county judge and I’m going to stand right here.”
In response to rising violent crime correlated to bail bond policies, a former constable and commissioner called three members of the Harris County Commissioners Court “a disgrace.”
While rejecting the possibility of intervention prior to the 2022 primary election, the narrow ruling left the door open for future consideration of the constitutionality of Harris County’s redistricting map.
Commissioner Tom Ramsey called a map proposed by Rodney Ellis “the most corrupt plan I've ever seen in my 45 years of doing work in Harris County.”
Instead of complying with instructions to rescind the appointment of an elections administrator, the Harris County attorney will draft a response to the attorney general on a challenge to the legality of the process.
Under Judge Lina Hidalgo’s initiative, the county will spend more than $2 million to provide legal services to individuals facing deportation.
In Texas’ largest county, a grant from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg injects an additional $9.6 million into an elections administration rife with controversy and legal challenges.
Details of a new warrant for Menifee describe a home invasion-style burglary, gunfire exchange with a victim, and alleged gang affiliations. He has been released on four bonds in less than two years.
