Harris County is staring down a $200 million budget shortfall, and the tension over how to handle it has reached a boiling point on Commissioners Court.

Tensions are rising within Harris County leadership after a contentious Commissioners Court meeting led to the formal censure of County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The fallout has sparked debate among commissioners, and the public, about whether the judge should remain in office.

Harris County is facing a $1 billion shortfall in its flood control projects despite having $5.2 billion in total funding, including a $2.5 billion voter-approved bond from 2018. The County Commissioners are prioritizing federal partnerships and grant protections to ensure continued access to federal funds. With $700 million remaining, the court will decide in September which projects can proceed. The focus remains on transparency, completing critical projects, and maintaining partnerships to maximize resources, while officials consider the possibility of seeking additional voter-approved funding in the future.

Funds that were originally earmarked to be used for Uplift Harris, a universal basic income program which was launched in 2023, have been diverted to other programs following a Harris County Commissioners Court vote.

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.

Harris County will dedicate a downtown building in honor of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The ceremony, scheduled for Thursday at 1111 Fannin, will unveil the new name of the 17-story office building, which recently underwent upgrades.

Tensions erupted during a Harris County Commissioners Court meeting as deputies demanded urgent pay raises, highlighting a 20% pay gap compared to Houston Police Department salaries.

“My only regret is not having called attention sooner to his well-known history of blatant disrespect toward me and other colleagues, community leaders, and county employees who dare to disagree with him," Hidalgo said.

Fireworks and verbal blows were unleashed at Harris County Commissioners Court earlier this week. County records show that Tuesday’s meeting with the four county commissioners along with the county judge lasted for over 10 hours.

A Harris County contract to conduct an outreach campaign to encourage COVID vaccinations was canceled in September, but the issue has come back to life in the form of grand jury subpoenas for every member of the Harris County Commission.

HOUSTON The Harris County Commissioners County approved eight measures to reform the criminal justice system that aids in mass incarceration and police brutality against people of color and the poor community. Commissioner Rodney Ellis proposed the reformation of the criminal justice system following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others. The proposal includes studies that could lead to reallocating the countys criminal justice budget, implementing an independent oversight board to investigate excessive police force and expanding the Public Defender Office. Data also shows there are twice as many people at the Harris County Jail as opposed to jails in New York or Cook County. When Texas reduced its incarceration rate, the crime rate also went down.