Tag Archives: Commissioners Court

July 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Before we get to the numbers, please read this. The widow of former Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee has emptied most of her late husband’s $3.8 million campaign account by donating to community groups and charities. Ethel … Continue reading →

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What can the county do about ethics?

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe something. Maybe not. Who can tell? Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis has proposed two ethics reforms he says are needed to improve transparency in county government, though Texas counties’ limited rule-making power may scuttle his plan. Commissioners … Continue reading →

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Still no more prosecutors

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I remain fascinated by this dynamic. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday rejected District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request for more staff to handle fallout from the Houston Police Department’s botched Pecan Park drug raid, the second time this year commissioners … Continue reading →

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By the way, Commissioners Court updated the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 along party lines to [add sexual orientation and gender identity to the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies]. County Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia — all Democrats — voted … Continue reading →

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Some county race updates

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

2020 is going to be a very different election year in Harris County, because for the first time in anyone’s memory all of the non-HCDE countywide offices are held by Democrats. If you’re a Democrat in Harris County and you … Continue reading →

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On prosecutor caseloads

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still thinking about this. When a line of prosecutors stepped up to the microphone at Harris County Commissioners Court in February, they told tales of long hours, endless to-do lists and bloated caseloads well into the triple digits. Their … Continue reading →

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Moving ahead with voting centers

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The first time was a success, so we’re going to keep using them. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to apply for state approval to expand the use of countywide polling places to general elections. County Clerk Diane … Continue reading →

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Fee collecting time

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Worthwhile effort, but keep expectations modest. Harris County has an $80 million backlog of uncollected civil court fees dating back to the 1980s, new District Clerk Marilyn Burgess said, prompting her office to launch an aggressive collection effort. Burgess said … Continue reading →

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Another view of pollution enforcement

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The state has its role, but it’s not all on them. Almost two months before a massive chemical fire erupted in Deer Park, sending a dark plume of smoke over much of Harris County, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia asked … Continue reading →

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McLeod wants back on the bench

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s fine. He’s got ten months to make his case to Democratic primary voters. The Harris County Civil Court At Law judge who inadvertently resigned his post in March, and unsuccessfully lobbied Commissioners Court to allow him to remain on … Continue reading →

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Prosecuting polluters

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It really shouldn’t have to come to this, but here we are. The Harris County District Attorney’s office is calling for a tripling of the number of prosecutors dedicated to environmental crimes in the wake of a series of chemical … Continue reading →

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We’re gonna need a bigger meeting room

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. With a newfound public interest in Harris County Commissioners Court meetings, which at times have been so crowded that would-be attendees have been turned away, court members plan to build a larger chamber. Commissioners Court [asked] County Engineer … Continue reading →

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Bail lawsuit settlement outline taking shape

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We should have a final version in a couple of weeks. A proposed settlement in the landmark Harris County bail lawsuit would significantly change how the county treats poor defendants in misdemeanor cases by providing free social and transportation services … Continue reading →

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Was the McLeod replacement too hasty?

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Eh, I dunno. Republican members of Harris County Commissioners Court criticized their Democratic colleagues for quickly approving a new civil court judge at Tuesday’s meeting who had not been vetted by the full body. The three Democrats voted to appoint … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court replaces Judge McLeod

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate, but understandable. A divided Harris County Commissioners Court declined to give County Court At Law Judge Bill McLeod a reprieve Tuesday after he inadvertently resigned last week, opting instead to appoint a replacement. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said … Continue reading →

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Revisiting El Franco Lee’s campaign finances

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a lot of cash in the late Commissioner’s campaign finance account. When 66-year-old Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee had a fatal heart attack in January 2016, his campaign account had $3.8 million. Since then, the cash has … Continue reading →

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Please delete April Fools Day from your calendar

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I just can’t. An April Fools’ Day resignation prank? One Texas civil court judge wishes it were so. A newly elected judge in Houston accidentally resigned on Monday, according to local media and a county official, after he shared plans … Continue reading →

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Harris County sues ITC over Deer Park fire

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Go get ’em. Harris County has sued Intercontinental Terminals Co. for failing to prevent a massive chemical fire that burned for more than 60 hours last week and spewed an unknown volume of hazardous chemicals into the air and nearby … Continue reading →

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Harris County settles ADA voting rights lawsuit

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Chalk up another accomplishment for our new county overlords. The U.S. Department of Justice will monitor Harris County elections, at county expense, for up to four years under the settlement of a federal lawsuit over inadequate access to polling places … Continue reading →

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Vote centers approved for Harris County

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley approved Harris County as one of six Texas counties with a population of more than 100,000 to participate in the Countywide Polling Place Program. With over 2 million registered voters, … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court appoints a new judge

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Based on the motion from Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Commissioners Court on Tuesday appointed Genesis E. Draper – an assistant public defender in the Harris County Public Defender’s Office – to fill the judicial vacancy at … Continue reading →

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January 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

One last set of finance reports I want to look at, from Harris County officials. I’m dividing them into a few groups: Lina Hidalgo, County Judge Diane Trautman, County Clerk Dylan Osborne, County Treasurer Marilyn Burgess, District Clerk Kim Ogg, … Continue reading →

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Ogg’s second ask

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how this goes. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is planning to head back to county leaders with another request for more prosecutors in light of the massive case review sparked by fallout from last month’s botched Houston … Continue reading →

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Flood tunnel study funds

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Could be cool. The Harris County Flood Control District is set to receive a $320,000 federal grant to study the feasibility of constructing deep underground tunnels to move stormwater to the Houston Ship Channel without overburdening the area’s bayous. The … Continue reading →

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Vote centers advance

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The other big story from Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman’s plan to shift to countywide voting centers inched forward this week when Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to file an application with the secretary of state asking … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court rejects Ogg’s request for more prosecutors

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I fully expected that Commissioners Court going from 4-1 Republican to 3-2 Democratic after the last election would signal big changes in how business was done in Harris County, but I didn’t expect this to be the first milestone on … Continue reading →

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RIP, Cassandra Hollemon

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sad news. Cassandra Hollemon took the bench in a sweep of Black Girl Magic, becoming part of the historic moment when 19 African-American women in Harris County won spots overseeing some of the busiest courtrooms in Texas. In the weeks … Continue reading →

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How many prosecutors do we need?

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Opinions differ, but it’s a big question in Harris County right now. Hanover is one of many prosecutors Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said are overburdened — the reason she has asked Commissioners Court for a budget that would … Continue reading →

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Does the Astrodome redevelopment need air conditioning?

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t thought about this, to be honest. As work continues on the initial stages of preparing the Astrodome for its new life as a parking and events venue, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo raised questions last week about the … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Fort Bend

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Did you know that Fort Bend County went blue in 2018 as well? Of course you did. Let’s take a closer look at how that happened. Dist Cruz Beto Dikeman Cruz% Beto% Dike% ====================================================== HD26 32,451 33,532 406 48.88% 50.51% … Continue reading →

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Will we address the unincorporated problem?

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron proposes an agenda item for the Lege. Unincorporated Harris County The challenges of unincorporated Harris County are nothing new. For decades neighborhoods have sprouted up in the vast prairie west of Houston without any formal municipal governmental structure. … Continue reading →

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Now we talk about vote centers

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. New Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman on Tuesday [proposed] to Commissioners Court a non-precinct based countywide polling system, where voters can cast ballots at the locations most convenient to them. “Life gets in the way; you’ve got to pick … Continue reading →

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Appeal of bail injunction dropped

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Elections have consequences, and thank goodness for it. Less than a week after the new jurists were sworn into office, Harris County’s misdemeanor judges on Monday withdrew their appeal in the landmark lawsuit over local bail practices that a federal … Continue reading →

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Rep. Justin Rodriguez resigns to take County Commissioner job

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We will need that special election. State Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, is leaving the Legislature to become a Bexar County commissioner. The county’s judge, Nelson Wolff, appointed Rodriguez on Friday to replace Paul Elizondo, the longtime commissioner who died … Continue reading →

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