Tag Archives: Commissioners Court

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Astros, Commissioners Court, coronavirus, face masks, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Jack Cagle, Lina Hidalgo, quarantine, Rice University, Texas, Tom Ramsey, vaccinations | 4 Comments

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 →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged budget, Commissioners Court, District Clerk, Harris County, jury duty, Lina Hidalgo, Marilyn Burgess | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Army Corps of Engineers, bond referendum, Commissioners Court, Congress, construction, Ed Emmett, Election 2018, FEMA, flooding, Harris County, Harris County Flood Control District, HUD, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Land Commissioner, Lina Hidalgo, Texas | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrienne Bell, Brazoria County, CD14, CD22, Cody Vasut, Commissioners Court, Congress, Ed Thompson, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, HD25, HD29, Patrick Henry, precinct analysis, President, Railroad Commission, Randy Weber, redistricting, Senate, Sri Kulkarni, Texas, The Lege, Travis Boldt, Troy Nehls | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, blackouts, Christian Menefee, Commissioners Court, ERCOT, FERC, Freeze 2021, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Jay Aiyer, lawsuit, Liberty County, Midcontinental Independent System Operator, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, Trey Martinez-Fischer | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Adrian Garcia, bail, Commissioners Court, coronavirus, Harris County, jail overcrowding, jails, Lina Hidalgo, polls, Rodney Ellis | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 3

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Bridgette Smith-Lawson, Carmen Turner, CD09, CD22, Commissioners Court, County Attorney, Election 2020, Election 2024, Eric Fagan, Fort Bend County, HD26, HD27, HD28, HD85, precinct analysis, redistricting, Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Texas, Vincent Morales | Comments Off

Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 2

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, Amparo Guerra, Amy Clark Meachum, CD09, CD22, Christian Becerra, Commissioners Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, Election 2020, Elizabeth Frizell, Eric Fagan, First Court of Appeals, Fort Bend County, HD26, HD27, HD28, HD85, Jane Robinson, Jim Shoemake, judicial races, Maggie Jaramillo, precinct analysis, Staci Williams, Supreme Court, Tameika Carter, Tamika Craft, Texas, turnout, Veronica Rivas-Molloy | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Commissioners Court, coronavirus, Election 2022, flooding, Harris County, Harris County Fire Marshal, Harris County Sheriff, Lina Hidalgo, pollution, public defender, stimulus | 27 Comments

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 →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Air Alliance Houston, Carrin Patman, Commissioners Court, construction, downtown, Harris County, HGAC, Houston, I-45, LINK Houston, Metro, Stop I-45, Transportation Policy Council, TxDOT | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: Fort Bend County, part 1

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged CD09, CD22, Chrysta Castaneda, Commissioners Court, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2004, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Elizabeth Markowitz, Fort Bend County, Gary Gates, George Bush, Harris County, HD26, HD27, HD28, HD85, Jacey Jetton, Jim Wright, Joe Biden, John Cornyn, Ken DeMerchant, MJ Hegar, precinct analysis, President, Railroad Commission, redistricting, Richard Morrison, Sarah DeMerchant, Senate, Sri Kulkarni, straight ticket voting, Texas, The Lege, Troy Nehls | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Commissioners Court, Harris County, Houston, Houston City Council, Public Utility Commission, renewable energy, Rodney Ellis, solar energy, Sunnyside, Sylvester Turner | 44 Comments

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Commissioners Court, Ed Gonzalez, Gene Locke, Harris County, Harris County Sheriff, jail overcrowding, jails, Lina Hidalgo, Shannon Herklotz, Steve Radack, Texas, Texas Commission on Jail Standards | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Astrodome, Astrodome Conservancy, Astrodome Redevelopment, Commissioners Court, construction, coronavirus, Ed Emmett, Election 2018, Harris County, Harris County Judge, Houston, Lina Hidalgo, preservation | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Chris Hollins, Commissioners Court, Election 2020, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Tax Assessor, Isabel Longoria, Ken Paxton, Secretary of State, Texas, Vince Ryan | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, CD07, Commissioners Court, Constable, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Harris County, HD132, HD134, HD135, HD138, HD144, Jon Rosenthal, judicial races, Justice of the Peace, Kristen Hawkins, Lizzie FLetcher, Michael Gomez, precinct analysis, redistricting, Russ Ridgway, straight ticket voting, Ted Heap, Texas, turnout | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, Attorney General, Chris Hollins, Commissioners Court, coronavirus, CREW, Election 2020, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, Louis DeJoy, Seth Mnuchin, stimulus, Texas, US Treasury, USPS | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Beto O'Rourke, Chrysta Castaneda, Commissioners Court, Constable, Donald Trump, Election 2018, Election 2020, Harris County, Israel Garcia, Jack Morman, Jim Wright, Joe Biden, John Cornyn, Justice of the Peace, Laryssa Korduba, Mark Alan Harrison, MJ Hegar, precinct analysis, President, Railroad Commission, redistricting, Russ Ridgway, Senate, Ted Heap, Texas, Tom Ramsey | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged Commissioners Court, Congress, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2020, Harris County, judicial races, precinct analysis, President, Railroad Commission, redistricting, SBOE, Senate, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege | 8 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Annise Parker, Bill King, Commissioners Court, Democratic primary, Ed Emmett, Election 2018, Election 2022, Harris County, Lina Hidalgo, redistricting, Texas | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Chris Hollins, Christian Menefee, Commissioners Court, Diane Trautman, Election 2020, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Tax Assessor, Isabel Longoria, Ken Paxton, Lina Hidalgo, Paul Bettencourt, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Chris Hollins, Commissioners Court, Diane Trautman, Election 2020, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Tax Assessor, Isabel Longoria, Ken Paxton, Lina Hidalgo, Paul Bettencourt, Secretary of State, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas | 6 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Brazoria County, CD03, CD21, CD22, CD24, CD25, CD26, Collin County, Commissioners Court, Congress, Constable, Court of Criminal Appeals, Denton County, Election 2004, Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2020, Erin Zwiener, Hays County, HD106, HD33, HD45, HD63, HD64, HD65, HD66, HD67, HD70, HD89, judicial races, Justice of the Peace, President, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, SBOE, Sheriff, Supreme Court, Tax Assessor, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, Bexar County, Carlos Uresti, CD31, Commissioners Court, Constable, Court of Criminal Appeals, Donald Trump, Donna Imam, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Eric Fagan, Falls County, Fort Bend County, Harris County, HD117, HD118, HD136, HD52, HD85, Hillary Clinton, James Talarico, Jennifer Cantu, Joe Biden, Joe Lopez, John Bucy, John Carter, John Cornyn, judicial races, Justice of the Peace, Larry Gonzales, Leo Pacheco, Mike Clark, Mike Gleason, MJ Hegar, Pete Flores, Phil Stephenson, Phillip Cortez, President, Railroad Commission, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Richard Morrison, Robert Chody, Roland Gutierrez, SBOE, SD19, Senate, Sheriff, Supreme Court, Tarrant County, Texas, The Lege, Tomas Uresti, Tony Dale, Williamson County | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Bayou Greenway Initiative, bicycles, bike trails, CenterPoint, Commissioners Court, Harris County, Houston, Houston Parks Board, Lina Hidalgo, Memorial Park, Sims Bayou, The Lege | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Commissioners Court, Election 2020, elections administrator, Harris County, Isabel Longoria, Military and Overseas Voting Empowerment Act, Texas | Comments Off

It’s a range, not a number

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have full canvass data yet, but as I have said, I have Presidential data courtesy of Greg Wythe. Here are a couple of districts of interest: Dist Biden Trump Biden% Trump% ========================================= CD02 170,707 178,840 48.1% 50.0% CD07 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, CD02, CD18, Commissioners Court, Congress, Constable, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Harris County, HD132, HD133, HD134, HD135, HD138, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Justice of the Peace, precinct analysis, President, redistricting, SBOE, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 2 Comments

Initial thoughts about the election

Posted on November 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And now for some reactions and analysis… – The polls were garbage. Oy vey. Not just here, though they were definitely off here, underestimating Trump and the Republicans after doing the same to Beto and the Dems in 2018. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Beto O'Rourke, CD02, Chrysta Castaneda, Commissioners Court, Congress, Dan Crenshaw, Donald Trump, Election 2004, Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2014, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, fundraising, Grady Yarbrough, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HCDE, HD108, HD112, HD126, HD127, HD128, HD129, HD130, HD132, HD133, HD135, HD138, HD150, Jack Morman, Jane Bland, Joe Biden, John Cornyn, judicial races, Latino voting, MJ Hegar, polls, President, Railroad Commission, redistricting, Senate, straight ticket voting, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Tom Ramsey, turnout, voter registration, Wendy Davis | 8 Comments

Omnibus Election Day post

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I was up really late last night, and there’s still a lot of votes to be counted. The SOS website was mostly trash, but a lot of county election sites took their sweet, sweet time even reporting any Election Day … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, The making of the President | Tagged Angie Chen Button, Ann Johnson, Brandy Chambers, CD23, Commissioners Court, Congress, Constable, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Eric Fagan, Fort Bend County, Gina Calanni, Gina Ortiz Jones, Harris County, HCDE, HD108, HD112, HD132, HD134, HD135, HD138, Israel Garcia, Joanna Cattanach, Jon Rosenthal, judicial races, Justice of the Peace, Latino voting, Michael Moore, Mike Schofield, Morgan Meyer, Pete Flores, polls, President, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, redistricting, Roland Gutierrez, Russ Ridgway, Sarah Davis, SBOE, SD19, Senate, Sheriff, straight ticket voting, Ted Heap, Texas, The Lege, Tom Ramsey, Tony Gonzales, turnout | 16 Comments

Harris County approves early childhood development funds

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a $10 million fund to invest in early childhood development programs proposed by County Judge Lina Hidalgo, her chief policy goal for 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the county government to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, budget, Commissioners Court, Early Childhood Intervention, Election 2018, Harris County, Jack Cagle, Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis | Comments Off

Meet your new Election Administrator

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Solid choice. The Harris County Elections Commission on Friday appointed Isabel Longoria as the county’s first election administrator, who will assume the voter registration and election management duties that currently fall to the county clerk and tax assessor-collector. Longoria, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Ann Harris Bennett, Chris Hollins, Commissioners Court, Election 2020, elections administrator, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Elections Commission, Harris County Tax Assessor, Isabel Longoria, Keith Nielsen, Lillie Schechter, Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis | 1 Comment

How hard it is to vote is a policy choice

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County tried to make it easier. The state GOP, various other Republican contingents, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and others fought that choice every step of the way. Much of the Democrats’ dream of turning Texas blue is pinned on … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged absentee ballots, Adrian Garcia, Chris Hollins, Commissioners Court, curbside voting, drop off boxes, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis, Supreme Court, Texas, turnout, voter ID, voter registration, voter suppression | Comments Off

Flooding affects toll roads, too.

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This makes sense to me. Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to create a local government corporation to manage Harris County’s toll road system in a move expected to provide a windfall to county coffers and allow surplus toll collections to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged bonds, Commissioners Court, flooding, Harris County, HCTRA, Jack Cagle, Lina Hidalgo, property taxes, revenue cap, Rodney Ellis, Steve Radack, toll roads | 10 Comments

The post-Harvey flood control march

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a long journey, with a lot to be done. It’s going to take awhile. Most of Kenwood, a working class, mostly Latino neighborhood, is so deep in the 100-year floodplain that Harris County engineers have concluded no flood control … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged bond referendum, Commissioners Court, Election 2018, flooding, Harris County, Harris County Flood Control District, Houston, Hurricane Harvey, Texas | Comments Off

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