“We got into a bad situation colleagues,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said at the Aug. 14 court meeting. “When Commissioners Court chose not to consider further investments in our community, we put vital programs on the chopping block: health care and mental health services, housing programs, food access, good-paying jobs, and other core services that residents rely on.”
What we know
Over the last eight months, Harris County commissioners asked the county’s more than 80 department leaders and staff to identify at least 10% in potential cost saving opportunities within their current level of services to address a projected $200 million-plus shortfall in the FY 2025-26 budget, county officials said.
Preliminary budget expenses are estimated to cost at least $2.95 billion, while revenue is projected to reach at nearly $2.7 billion, according to budget documents.
Digging deeper
At the Aug. 14 court meeting, two motions passed in favor of county employees and retirees including protecting county employees from incurring extra costs related to health care coverage, and ensuring no health care coverage will be lost for retired employees. Harris County Commissioners Lesley Briones, Tom Ramsey, Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia voted in favor, while Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained.
What they're saying
Briones called the task at hand complex and challenging.
“It is undoubtedly true that the state has made our jobs so much harder,” Briones said. “This of course has been exacerbated by the current federal administration that is haphazardly stopping or pausing grants to the county.”
Garcia said his office and others are working to come up with solutions.
“This is how you govern. You work together,” Garcia said. “You sit at the table together, you roll your sleeves up together, and you make decisions together.”
Budget Director Daniel Ramos said while the county remains financially stable, there are increasing costs related to justice initiatives such as indigent defense, as well as pay equity and compensation costs for law enforcement and employees. Multiple county directors spoke about what the proposed budget cuts will mean for their departments.
Members from the Harris County Constables spoke about achieving pay parity in their department. Commissioners passed a motion in May that prioritized increasing county law enforcement pay—a decision with a $140 million county price tag that will require identifying necessary savings to provide for raises.
Quote of note
Milton Rahman from the Engineering Office said the cuts could impact response time and service delays, while interim Public Health Director Leah Barton said her department focused on making non-labor-related cuts, with a task of cutting at least $4 million in funding out of its 11 department divisions.
“No one is spared in this situation,” Barton said.
