HOUSTON – Harris County Commissioners voted down two motions presented by Judge Lina Hidalgo for taxpayer money to be used to pay for members of her staff to accompany her on an international trade mission to France.
While Hidalgo explained the funds for the trip itself were already included in this year’s allotted budget, the request was for more funds to be used to pay for four members of her staff to join her on the trip.
“They would not be able to come otherwise because they would have to take vacation time,” Hidalgo said during the meeting.
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During the public comment section of the meeting and before the vote, Barbara Denson, a Harris County Republican Party precinct chair, gave her thoughts on the request, harshly criticizing the judge.
“The voters have placed their trust in you to manage their hard-earned money wisely. And it’s your responsibility to ensure that every dollar is spent effectively,” Denson said. “State law requires essential expenditures - maintaining roads and parks, insuring public safety, funding prison, but with a county facing a $140 million dollar budget deficit, every expense demands careful scrutiny. When finances are sinking, splurging on a $23,000 trip to France isn’t the life raft you need. A frivolous trip should be the absolute last priority. This situation is like reasoning with a child determined to max out their credit card for a getaway they can’t afford. This proposal is as financially reckless as buying a yacht while drowning in debt. It’s nothing more than a disappearing act for taxpayer dollars.”
Hidalgo responded.
“Thank you so much and I would be curious to see my colleagues’ budget line items. I don’t know if they’ll even produce those, but to see if there’s anything there you’d find frivolous,” Hidalgo said.
Later on in the meeting, when it was time to vote on the motion, Hidalgo stressed security concerns.
“If you don’t approve this, I can’t even bring security detail even though the leaks about where I’m going already got people to say they’re going to come,” she said.
Commissioners would reject the motion by a 2-3 vote.
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Before the meeting moved onto resolutions, Hidalgo made another motion, again citing security concerns.
“You know what, let me make another motion here because I’m really concerned about my security detail so I would like to make a motion to approve international travel to Paris, France for two staff members,” she said.
Commissioners once again voted down the motion by a 2-3 vote.