Your County Tax Dollars at Work
Harris County, Texas, contains more full-time residents than 24 of the United States, more than 72 of the world's countries. Most of the 4.7 million people in Harris County are vaguely aware, if at all, that their county has its own government. Voters in Greater Houston typically get to see their County Judge on TV before, during, and after the arrival of major storm events, taking charge of evacuation, safety, security, and cleanup operations. They might see their Precinct Commissioners' names on signs by streets and roads when a county facility is under construction, especially in the unincorporated areas.
However, as was confirmed to me while I was campaigning for County Judge in 2014, it seems that the great majority of Harris County residents have only a vague idea of what the county government does. The most frequently asked question I received was, "Don't you have to be a lawyer to do that job?" Well, no: In the smaller counties, the County Judge may serve a judicial function, but in the larger metropolitan counties he or she serves as a county executive. Even then, as with County Justices of the Peace (of whom two are elected, in staggered four-year terms in each of eight constabulary precincts in the larger counties), a law degree is not a requirement.
It is refreshing and encouraging to see current County Judge Lina Hidalgo, elected in 2018's Blue Tide, working to change that and make county government more responsive to the people. Hidalgo had no Democratic primary opponent in 2018, partly because Harris County Judge is not a high-profile or prestigious office, despite the power it embodies. So she was able to bring a progressive agenda to the campaign without being impeded by more centrist Democratic forces.
The Court
County government in Texas is led by the elected Commissioners' Court, with a commissioner representing each of the four precincts, with a judge elected county-wide serving as chairperson. Commissioners' Court decides, among other things, county property tax rates and how to apportion the revenues to the various county agencies.
The Harris County Commissioners' Court does not get on TV much. It does not have its own C-SPAN channel, but it does stream its public meetings live on the Internet, plus you can view the archived videos.
The Court consists of five people making policy decisions that affect the lives of about 4,700,000. Think about that for a moment. They have this power because the Texas Constitution devolves all power not explicitly granted to the state government to the 254 county governments, through the principle of Home Rule for Counties.
The county's total expenditures for Fiscal Year 2020 (if I'm reading the budget correctly) exceed $5 billion, or just over $1.000 per inhabitant. Some (but certainly not all) of this money is for services in the county's unincorporated areas. Not all counties in Texas have the same responsibilities.
Where does the money go?
In recent years, apart from extreme weather events, the highest-profile news item involving Commissioners' Court has been the fate of the Astrodome. Former County Judge Ed Emmett approved a plan to convert the long-neglected Eighth Wonder of the World into a new kind of educational tourist attraction, years after a county referendum voted not to expend county funds to save it (this is not the same as tearing it down, unlike what some opinionated folks may think). There has been some worry among Astrodome preservationists that Judge Hidalgo would not follow through with the plans; thus far in 2019, the project has not received high priority, but she hasn't gone after the Dome with a wrecking ball yet either.
You may be surprised to learn that the words sports, stadium, and Astrodome do not appear anywhere in Harris County's budget documents (except for a line item for Alabonson Sports and Nature, a grant for a park advocacy group in northwest Houston). Here are just a few examples of what Harris County administers and collects taxes to keep running:
Harris County, Texas, contains more full-time residents than 24 of the United States, more than 72 of the world's countries. Most of the 4.7 million people in Harris County are vaguely aware, if at all, that their county has its own government. Voters in Greater Houston typically get to see their County Judge on TV before, during, and after the arrival of major storm events, taking charge of evacuation, safety, security, and cleanup operations. They might see their Precinct Commissioners' names on signs by streets and roads when a county facility is under construction, especially in the unincorporated areas.
However, as was confirmed to me while I was campaigning for County Judge in 2014, it seems that the great majority of Harris County residents have only a vague idea of what the county government does. The most frequently asked question I received was, "Don't you have to be a lawyer to do that job?" Well, no: In the smaller counties, the County Judge may serve a judicial function, but in the larger metropolitan counties he or she serves as a county executive. Even then, as with County Justices of the Peace (of whom two are elected, in staggered four-year terms in each of eight constabulary precincts in the larger counties), a law degree is not a requirement.
It is refreshing and encouraging to see current County Judge Lina Hidalgo, elected in 2018's Blue Tide, working to change that and make county government more responsive to the people. Hidalgo had no Democratic primary opponent in 2018, partly because Harris County Judge is not a high-profile or prestigious office, despite the power it embodies. So she was able to bring a progressive agenda to the campaign without being impeded by more centrist Democratic forces.
The Court
County government in Texas is led by the elected Commissioners' Court, with a commissioner representing each of the four precincts, with a judge elected county-wide serving as chairperson. Commissioners' Court decides, among other things, county property tax rates and how to apportion the revenues to the various county agencies.
The Harris County Commissioners' Court does not get on TV much. It does not have its own C-SPAN channel, but it does stream its public meetings live on the Internet, plus you can view the archived videos.
The Court consists of five people making policy decisions that affect the lives of about 4,700,000. Think about that for a moment. They have this power because the Texas Constitution devolves all power not explicitly granted to the state government to the 254 county governments, through the principle of Home Rule for Counties.
The county's total expenditures for Fiscal Year 2020 (if I'm reading the budget correctly) exceed $5 billion, or just over $1.000 per inhabitant. Some (but certainly not all) of this money is for services in the county's unincorporated areas. Not all counties in Texas have the same responsibilities.
Where does the money go?
In recent years, apart from extreme weather events, the highest-profile news item involving Commissioners' Court has been the fate of the Astrodome. Former County Judge Ed Emmett approved a plan to convert the long-neglected Eighth Wonder of the World into a new kind of educational tourist attraction, years after a county referendum voted not to expend county funds to save it (this is not the same as tearing it down, unlike what some opinionated folks may think). There has been some worry among Astrodome preservationists that Judge Hidalgo would not follow through with the plans; thus far in 2019, the project has not received high priority, but she hasn't gone after the Dome with a wrecking ball yet either.
You may be surprised to learn that the words sports, stadium, and Astrodome do not appear anywhere in Harris County's budget documents (except for a line item for Alabonson Sports and Nature, a grant for a park advocacy group in northwest Houston). Here are just a few examples of what Harris County administers and collects taxes to keep running:
- Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office, and County Jail System: the primary law enforcement, prosecution, and penal agencies for the entire county.
- Constables and Justices of the Peace: divided into eight precincts that do not necessarily overlap the four commissioners' precincts.
- Hospital District: Ben Taub, LBJ, and a few dozen other hospitals and clinics, providing emergency and long-term care for patients with or without medical insurance.
- Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority: everything from intake and diagnosis to long-term residential care for a full range of mental illnesses.
- Public Libraries: mostly for areas outside the city of Houston and other municipalities.
- Family, Probate, Civil, & Criminal Courts: sets up and staffs various courts to resolve domestic disputes, probate allocations, lawsuits, and criminal complaints.
- Parks & Recreation: dozens of parks and wildlife areas in unincorporated Harris County, including Meyer Park near Cypress Creek and Armand Bayou Nature Center near Pasadena.
- County Clerk's Office: keeps track of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, bequests, businesses operating, and campaign finances.
- Assessor & Collector of Taxes: calculates and collects taxes on real property with recommendations from the Appraisal District; registers voters and candidates, administers elections.