Harris County commissioners voted 3-2 to approve pay raises for the county's eight elected constables, amidst a $200 million budget deficit.

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.

The debate over whether to ask voters to cover the program comes as the nation’s third-largest county faces a projected $270M budget shortfall.

Harris County officials are ramping up efforts to protect residents from flooding after recent deadly storms in the Texas Hill Country.

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.

Illegal dumping in Harris County has become a pressing issue, with residents like Montrose Cunningham facing prolonged battles against abandoned waste in their neighborhoods. Cunningham's struggle with a massive pile of discarded items outside his Tomball home, left by former tenants, underscores the challenges in addressing unauthorized dumping. Despite seeking help from various local authorities, the waste remained until media attention prompted action. Harris County has intensified efforts to combat this issue, deploying undercover cameras and enforcing penalties ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Officials urge residents to report incidents through designated hotlines and caution against fraudulent waste removal services. The emphasis is on the environmental impact and the collective responsibility to protect the community's living space.

Harris County constables are demanding pay equity for their deputies following the Houston City Council's approval of a five-year contract that raises Houston Police Department (HPD) officer salaries by 38%, making them the highest-paid in Texas.

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.

Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza was tragically shot and killed during a garage sale outside her home in January 2019, a crime that remains unsolved.

Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has been hired in a new position within the county.

The Office of Harris County Administration announced the decision to fire Barbie Robinson from her role as executive director of Harris County Public Health.

The county plans to ID eligible voters and send them registration forms. GOP officials say it’s an end-run around state law.

Harris County commissioners are engaged in a heated discussion about a proposed increase in property tax rates. If approved, the rates could surge by 8%, a significant jump from the usual 3.5% cap.

According to Commissioner Tom Ramsey, it could take several more weeks before a debris truck even sets a tire on streets in precinct 3. In fact, it will be another at least three weeks until every street has a debris truck make a first pass.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman’s Office is giving back in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Tom Ramsey both spoke out Wednesday following some tense moments at commissioner’s court on Tuesday.

Harris County employees may soon be paid extra to work elections.

More than 20 years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency listed a Northwest Harris County shopping center at the 11600 block of Jones Road as a superfund site after county officials say a former dry cleaning business spent more than a decade improperly dumping toxic waste.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey on Thursday announced that he will provide license plate reading technology to law enforcement in Harris County, in order to help them improve their efforts in identifying criminal activity.

It’s an issue that Harris County Commissioners have been going back and forth over for weeks, and now, the time is up to vote on the county’s tax rate.

Harris County commissioners are set to attend a special meeting at 2 p.m. Monday.

The impasse over the Harris County budget continued Tuesday with Republican commissioners skipping a meeting for a third time in a row, blocking the Democratic majority commissioners court from adopting a new proposed tax rate.

Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle outlined a proposed tax reform plan Tuesday that he calls a “compromise” to break a stalemate over the property tax rate.

The two Harris County commissioners who skipped Tuesday’s meeting to approve a tax rate and proposed budget stuck by their decision which forced the county to adopt a no new revenue rate.

Harris County Judge Candidate Alexandra Del Moral Mealer and other local leaders will announce a law enforcement plan Wednesday to tackle crime.

Harris County Fire Marshal, Laurie Christensen, and Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey held a joint news conference on Wednesday to address safety for the upcoming school year.

Harris County Commissioners met Tuesday to discuss and consider putting a $1.2 billion bond measure on the November ballot. The measure passed 3-2 late Tuesday night.

Two commissioners have filed a lawsuit against Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Commissioner Cagle and Ramsey filed a lawsuit against Harris County's new redistricting.

Harris County had a problem and a plan. The problem? Guaranteed vaccine hesitancy. The plan? To hire a company to do “targeted vaccine community outreach.”

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard are expected to hold a news conference with other local officials Monday to remind residents of the effective date of House Bill 2795, and how the two offices are partnering to address Bissonnet Street (between Beltway 8 and Southwest Freeway), an area known nationally for prostitution.

Millard House II says HISD has not taken anyone to court over mask mandates and doesn’t plan to. He is a guest on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall and says his decision to require masks for HISD students and staff was not meant to make waves. “This was not a decision that we wanted to see as a controversial decision or an opportunity to push back against government officials,” he said. “That’s not what this was about. This was about keeping children safe.”

“Thank God!” said Tyrone Evan, who has been a resident at the senior living apartment complex for the last five years. Evan said residents, who are all 55 years old and older, were without running water for over a week. “When you get water and stuff from the pool, you can’t bathe and stuff in that water. You know what I’m saying.”Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey secured the trucks to bring water to the complex. “These are senior citizens, here they are not able to carry buckets of water like a lot of other folks,” said Ramsey.

HOUSTON – Senator Paul Bettencourt and Crime Stoppers of Houston held a press conference on “Caitlynne’s” bill filing on Personal Recognizance Bonds (PR bonds) Monday. The bill would prevent defendants from release on multiple PR bonds. The press conference started at 10 a.m. at the Crime Stoppers of Houston Building and included several community leaders/officials. “Too many of our citizens have become victims of violent crime by habitual offenders who are continually released back to the community often on multiple PR bonds,” said Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious. According to Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers, since 2018, 90 victims have been killed in Harris County by defendants released on various PR and low-dollar felony bonds.