Tag Archives: Ed Emmett

Will we or won’t we get a county bond election for flood control?

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Answer unclear, try again later. In an interview with the Chronicle, [Harris County Judge Ed] Emmett described the various factors that are at play as the county grapples with the possible bond referendum, which would be one of the biggest … Continue reading →

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Harris County could use a bit of cybersecurity training

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Oopsie. On Sept. 21, not three weeks after Houston was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, the Harris County auditor’s office received an email from someone named Fiona Chambers who presented herself as an accountant with D&W Contractors, Inc. The contractor was … Continue reading →

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County will try to repair criminal court building

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. After twice closing the 20-story downtown criminal courthouse due to flood damage since it was completed in 2000, Harris County leaders are planning to repair the shuttered building so the next time it floods it can … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thinking big about fighting flooding

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Christof Spieler, on behalf of the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium, comments on a proposal to move forward post-Harvey. On Oct. 25, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett released 15 recommendations for mitigating damages from future flood events. The researchers collaborating … Continue reading →

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Lamenting the lost rail opportunity

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

What could have been. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s speech Tuesday may have included jabs at state lawmakers, but it was a hit with transit advocates for a single line. “We cannot go back in time and undo some poor … Continue reading →

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Cricket in Houston

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If cricket ever becomes a big deal in the US, the Houston region will play a key role in that. Houston has had adult [cricket] leagues since the 1970s. Most players, then and now, are from Commonwealth countries – nations … Continue reading →

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Filing news: Two for County Judge

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another contested primary. At this point it’s easier to identify the uncontested races than the contested ones. There will be a contested March Democratic primary election for Harris County’s top administrative position as the race for county judge now … Continue reading →

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Organizing the guys with boats

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Remember all those volunteer rescuers who got in their boats to get flood victims during Harvey? Harris County remembers, and they would like to formalize that a bit for the next time. With emergency responders across the Houston area overwhelmed … Continue reading →

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State of the County 2017: Ed Emmett versus state leadership

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you heard was a fight breaking out. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Tuesday used his annual State of the County speech to blast state leaders who he said attack local governments and seek to cut needed taxes … Continue reading →

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Harris County to consider floodplain regulations change

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea to me. Nearly three months after Hurricane Harvey, Harris County is proposing using 500-year floodplains instead of 100-year floodplains for new development, the first significant overhaul of county elevation requirements in nearly two decades. The … Continue reading →

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City buys out some flooded homes

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Expect to see more of this. Houston City Council on Wednesday approved funding nearly 60 home buyouts across three flood-prone neighborhoods, the first such step from City Hall in recent memory. The city typically leaves buyouts to the Harris County … Continue reading →

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We have a candidate for Treasurer

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Democratic slate for countywide offices in 2018 is now filled out as Dylan Osborne has announced his candidacy for Harris County Treasurer. Osborne has been a City Council staffer and currently works in the Planning & Development Department for … Continue reading →

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The lost Harvey tax break

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have mixed feelings about this. Owners of nearly 300,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Texas won’t see any break in their property taxes because of political wrangling this year in the state Legislature over completely unrelated issues – … Continue reading →

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What the Harvey needs are from the state

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not just about recovery. The long term needs, including mitigation against future events like Harvey, is where the real money will need to be spent. More than one month after Harvey’s deluge hit, local officials, including Mayor Sylvester Turner … Continue reading →

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We’re going to need another jury building

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. Harris County is unlikely to repair Hurricane Harvey flood damage to the six-year-old, $13 million jury Assembly Building that sits beneath a park in downtown Houston’s courthouse square near Buffalo Bayou, County Judge Ed Emmett said … Continue reading →

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Emmett calls for changes to county’s flood strategy

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Calling Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastation a “game-changer,” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Monday called for a sweeping reexamination of the region’s flood control strategy, a process that could include billions of dollars to upgrade aging dams, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Harris County may do Harvey bonds

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out Harvey recovery will cost money. Who knew? A majority of the Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday said they would support a large bond issue, perhaps upwards of $1 billion, and a tax increase to pay for it. … Continue reading →

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Local government buildings took it on the chin from Harvey

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Houses, businesses, schools, churches, government offices – the destruction caused by Harvey and the bill to fix it all keeps adding up. Local governments grappled Tuesday with the staggering costs of responding to and cleaning up after Hurricane Harvey, a … Continue reading →

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Please don’t complain about the lack of an evacuation

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are good reasons why there was not an evacuation order for the greater Houston area in advance of Harvey. Ultimately, mayors and county judges are charged with making such decisions. Leaders in Houston and Harris County told residents to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Lina Hidalgo for Harris County Judge

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, our first announced candidate for Harris County Judge: Today, Lina Hidalgo, a young, Harvard and Stanford-educated immigrant, announces her candidacy for Harris County Judge, the top seat on the Harris County Commissioners Court. Ms. Hidalgo and her … Continue reading →

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July campaign finance reports – Harris County candidates

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Harris County situation for candidates and campaign finance reports is a bit complicated. Take a look at my January summary and the reports and data that I’ve found for July, and we’ll discuss what it all means on the … Continue reading →

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Harris County will not enter SB4 litigation

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday decided not to join a lawsuit against the state’s controversial sanctuary cities law. A motion made by Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis to move to join the lawsuit died after it failed to … Continue reading →

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How much will the county get repaid for Super Bowl activities?

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Quite possibly not very much, as it turns out. After the New England Patriots stunned the Atlanta Falcons with a storybook comeback in Super Bowl LI, after the crowds drained away and the national spotlight left Houston, Harris County officials … Continue reading →

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There is always some risk

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I get the concern, but the alternative was unacceptable and now is illegal. Get used to it. More than 600 people charged with misdemeanors have been released since June 7 when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency motion by … Continue reading →

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No Astrodome vote this fall

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bit of a surprise. [Sen. John] Whitmire filed a bill that would force the county to get voter approval before spending any money on the Dome. “It’s a dream and you shouldn’t spend taxpayer dollars on a … Continue reading →

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“What are we fighting for?”

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the key question for the county in the bail lawsuit. As legal costs mount, surpassing $200,000 per month, pressure is building for Harris County officials to settle a lawsuit over the county’s cash bail system that a federal judge … Continue reading →

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Why won’t the county settle the damn bail lawsuit?

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg asks the same question I’ve been asking. Now that Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal – it should be noted, a Republican appointee — levelled her devastating assessment of Harris County’s rigid bail system a few days ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Commissioners get testy over bail practices lawsuit

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hash it all out. Tensions flared at Harris County Commissioners Court Tuesday after new Commissioner Rodney Ellis filed legal papers supporting civil rights groups in their high-profile federal lawsuit against the county and its bail system. In a rare … Continue reading →

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January 2017 campaign finance reports: Harris County officeholders

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We may or may not have City of Houston elections this year, but we will definitely have Harris County elections next year. Here’s a brief tour of the finance reports for Harris County officeholders. First up, Commissioners Court: Rodney Ellis … Continue reading →

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Whitmire Astrodome bill passes out of committee

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. A Senate committee voted Monday in favor of a bill that would require Harris County residents to approve a county project to renovate the Astrodome by raising its floors and installing parking underneath. The bill could effectively could torpedo … Continue reading →

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Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences officially opens

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. The greater Houston region now has a sophisticated asset to investigate and solve crimes with the official opening of the new Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS). Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other dignitaries, including Harris … Continue reading →

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County will use public defenders at bail hearings

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County commissioners on Tuesday approved a pilot program to make public defenders available at bail hearings, a step aimed at retooling a criminal justice system that has increasingly drawn criticism for jailing thousands of poor, low-risk offenders. Within … Continue reading →

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County approves defense attorneys for bail hearings

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue. Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to develop a pilot program that would make public defenders present at bail hearings, a move aimed at reducing what officials say is the unnecessary jailing of thousands of defendants because they … Continue reading →

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More on the Whitmire Astrodome bill

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I still don’t care for this. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett voiced concern Tuesday that a bill filed by a veteran state senator jeopardizes the county’s plan to revitalize the Astrodome, adding that county representatives would continue to try to … Continue reading →

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