Tag Archives: Commissioners Court

Bring in an outside investigator

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the Chron editorial board’s advice for Constable Alan Rosen. Rosen’s office declined to comment to the editorial board Thursday, but in an earlier statement, he said that when he was made aware of the allegations, he “proactively” ordered an … Continue reading →

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Another deputy constable files suit

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More bad. When Precinct 1 Constable deputies accused their bosses of sexually exploiting them during undercover vice operations last week, their attorney vowed there would likely be more allegations in the near future. On Wednesday, Cordt Akers returned to the … Continue reading →

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It’s time for another Astrodome redevelopment effort

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Astrodome redevelopment for a new generation. Nineteen years after the Astrodome last hosted an event, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Houston’s most famous building hopes to finally develop a renovation plan that will actually come to fruition. The nonprofit Astrodome … Continue reading →

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Threat level down

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Been waiting for this for some time. Harris County finally will downgrade from its highest COVID-19 threat level, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Monday evening, after 47 weeks of urging residents to stay home. Hidalgo said the effectiveness of the … Continue reading →

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A little incentive

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If it takes a reward of some kind to get a few more people to be vaccinated against COVID, I’m fine with that. To increase the rate of vaccinations, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved giving incentives to citizens. At … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court partially fills the flood bond funding gap

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court took initial steps this week to plug a $1.4 billion funding hole for its flood bond program by diverting revenue from the county’s toll roads system. Court members also laid out a “backstop” plan to … Continue reading →

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Sheriff Gonzalez nominated to lead ICE

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he will nominate Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, a vocal skeptic of cooperating with federal immigration authorities in certain circumstances, to serve as director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As head of … Continue reading →

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On vaccine equity

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This was predictable, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it as such. Black and Latino Harris County residents received the COVID-19 vaccine at lower rates than their white counterparts, according to a county analysis that also found a … Continue reading →

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Should Harris County lower its threat level?

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? According to Harris County’s COVID-19 guidance, residents should avoid all unnecessary contact with others. They should not go to bars or barbecues or ballgames. They should work from home if possible and leave only for errands, such as groceries … Continue reading →

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Is it time to pay jurors more?

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not yet, but maybe soon. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and her colleagues on Commissioners Court declined to support a proposal to increase pay for jurors and instead referred the idea for more study. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess, a Democrat, … Continue reading →

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Flood funding shortfall

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still trying to understand this. Harris County on Tuesday revealed a $1.4 billion shortfall in funding for flood control projects under the bond program voters approved in 2018, a massive miscalculation that threatens to cause construction delays and cost taxpayers … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Brazoria County

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading →

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Harris County considers its ERCOT responses

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe ERCOT isn’t right for us. Harris County should consider leaving the state’s main power grid after it failed to prevent widespread blackouts for more than half of Houston-area residents last week, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said Monday. Garcia … Continue reading →

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A poll about jailing people

Posted on February 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. New polling from The Appeal and Data for Progress shows that most Harris County residents support bail reform measures and want fewer people in the county’s overcrowded jail amid the COVID-19 pandemic The polling shows 59 percent of … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 3

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 2

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading →

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Harris County approves its budget

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good priorities. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.3 billion general fund budget that includes new investments in pollution control, public health and attorneys for indigent criminal defendants. The $64 million in new spending represents a 2 … Continue reading →

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There’s a real lack of consensus about the I-45 project

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It seems unlikely that TxDOT could just throw up its hands and walk away from this, but it’s at least a possible scenario. A proposed agreement devised to bring planners and critics of a massive redesign of Interstate 45 together … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 1

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE I’ve … Continue reading →

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Some good local environmental news

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for Houston, in particular Sunnyside. The old landfill in Sunnyside sat closed for 50 years, an enduring reminder of the city’s choice to dump and burn its trash in the historically Black community. On Wednesday, Houston City Council members took … Continue reading →

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Sheriff Gonzalez hires jail administrator

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A former state jail inspector will oversee Harris County’s jail, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced Wednesday. Shannon Herklotz, who worked for the Texas Commision on Jail Standards for more than 20 years, began serving as the jail’s chief of detentions … Continue reading →

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Astrodome renovation officially on hold

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, given everything that is going on right now. The COVID-19 pandemic upended most aspects of normal life, but this year has clutched dearly to one bit of normalcy for Houston residents: inaction on the Astrodome. For 12 … Continue reading →

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Do we still have to worry about the Elections Administrator’s office?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little hesitant to bring this up, but… This year, Harris County began the process of consolidating the two offices that have historically handled elections — the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector’s office — under one roof. Isabel … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: The judicial averages

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 As you know, I use the average totals and percentages from local judicial races as … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton’s attempted jihad against Harris County

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Attorney General Ken Paxton tried to get the Trump administration to revoke millions in federal COVID relief funding that Harris County budgeted for expanding mail-in voting earlier this year, newly revealed records show. Paxton wrote in a May 21 … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Commissioners Court and JP/Constable precincts

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts We now zoom in for a look at various county districts, which are also called “precincts”. I don’t know why we have County Commissioner precincts and JP/Constable precincts to go along with regular voting … Continue reading →

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2020 precinct analysis: Introduction and overview

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So I finally got a full canvass of the 2020 election in a nice and convenient spreadsheet form. I spent a fair amount of the Thanksgiving week doing what I usually do with it, to generate totals for all of … Continue reading →

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More 2022 speculation

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Campos: I was watching “What’s Your Point” yesterday and the 2022 election was brought up. Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo would face an opponent in the Democratic Primary. My friend Bill King … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court rejects Paxton allegation about Elections Administrator

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Straight to the point. The Democrats on Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday rejected an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in which he said they illegally created an independent elections office and hired an administrator. The move invites … Continue reading →

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Paxton has a tantrum about the Harris County Election Administrator

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Someone is going to have to help me understand this, because I’m clearly missing something. Harris County failed to follow the Texas Election Code when it created an independent election administration office, rendering the office and the appointment of Isabel … Continue reading →

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A closer look at county races, Part 2

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Part One is here. As before, this is about taking a closer look at the counties where Democrats made gains from 2016. Collin County: Our reach may have exceeded our grasp, but it’s important to note that progress was made. … Continue reading →

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A closer look at county races, Part 1

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In this series of entries, I’m going to take a trip through the local election results pages on some counties of interest, to get a closer look at how they went this year and how that compares to 2016. We … Continue reading →

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Harris County reaches bike trail deal with CenterPoint

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Biking between bayous in Harris County is closer to reality, now that local leaders and the monopoly that manages local power lines have inked a deal. Harris County officials Tuesday approved an agreement between the county and CenterPoint Energy … Continue reading →

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By the way, we’re still counting votes here in Texas

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Harris County is still counting ballots, too, just like counties all across Texas. We’re not focused on that right now, because Texas went to President Donald Trump on election night. But more than 100 people … Continue reading →

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