The State of Harris County

Last week, Harris County Commissioners Court passed a Fiscal Year 2026 budget that cuts services and programs including emergency preparedness, public safety, mental health, juvenile justice, and more. Judge Hidalgo continued to fight against these cuts until the last minute, ultimately voting against the final budget proposal.

Throughout the budget process, the majority of Commissioners Court created a $200M+ deficit by repeatedly voting in favor of unfunded expenses, against the recommendation of the Budget Director – including a $100M raise for law enforcement. Judge Hidalgo advocated for bringing the $100M law enforcement raise to voters and letting them decide whether they wanted to fund law enforcement or cut county services.

View an analysis of the FY2026 budget cuts here.

While Judge Hidalgo did not support the cuts to services in this year’s budget, she will continue fighting for programs and services that Harris County residents depend on.

Fighting for Transparency in Flood Bond Projects

Judge Hidalgo surveys flooding near the San Jacinto River in April 2024.

Harris County Flood Control District (FCD) Director Tina Petersen told Commissioners Court earlier this month that 27 of the promised bond projects from the 2018 flood bond are on pause indefinitely because of a $410 million deficit in flood bond funding.

Delivering on the largest flood bond in county history is a critical obligation to Harris County residents. Judge Hidalgo proposed that the Harris County Commissioners Court delay the $100 million pay raises by taking that to the voters next year, and instead using that $100 million to create a special fund to re-start promised flood control projects. In a letter to the County Auditor and Budget Director, she also called for an independent audit into the 2018 flood bond and an analysis of creative funding solutions to close the $410M funding gap.

View Judge Hidalgo’s full letter on the 2018 flood bond here.

The State of Harris County

Judge Lina Hidalgo gives her State of the County 2025 address.

Judge Hidalgo had the honor of delivering her State of the County Address at a luncheon hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership earlier this month. During her address, Judge Hidalgo continued to advocate for early childhood education and highlighted the county’s work on public safety and disaster resiliency. She also outlined her vision for the future of Harris County. You can view her full State of the County address here.

Below are some of Harris County’s achievements and programs that Judge Hidalgo highlighted:

Early Childhood Education

Harris County invested more than $149M in one-time American Rescue Plan funding into high-quality early childhood programs that include more child care slots, teacher training and summer learning opportunities. So far, more than 60,000 families throughout Harris County have benefited from investments in high-quality early childhood education programs. While the majority of Commissioners Court did not support Judge Hidalgo’s proposal to let the voters decide whether to continue funding these programs, she will keep fighting for early childhood education in Harris County.

Learn more about Judge Hidalgo’s early childhood proposal at the Truth Center.

Public Safety

Judge Hidalgo has helped make Harris County safer by investing more money into public safety than any other county judge in history. Under Judge Hidalgo’s leadership, Harris County increased its investments in public safety by 37%, for a total of $1.7B invested in the last fiscal year.

Judge Hidalgo has fought for traditional public safety investments, like raises for law enforcement, as well as non-traditional solutions that have shown success in reducing crime.

Data-driven initiatives like the county’s VIPER Task Force have taken more than 4,000 violent criminals with outstanding warrants off the streets since 2022.
Harris County’s RISE program has also diverted more than 13,000 high-risk residents, primarily young men living in high-crime or gang-affected areas, into constructive programs such as mentorship and mental health counseling.

Flood Control & Disaster Resilience

For years, Harris County’s investments in flood control maintenance had not kept pace with its investment in constructing new flood control projects. Judge Hidalgo advocated for voters to pass Proposition A last year to help Harris County invest in flood maintenance and turn the page on flood resiliency in Harris County. Since Proposition A passed:

Flood Control has doubled its number of annual infrastructure repair projects.
Crews removed 117% more sediment and debris from channels, helping water flow more freely and lowering the risk of flooding.

Environmental Sustainability

Harris County passed the Climate Justice Plan in April, which is the first plan of its kind in the nation. Developed over two years with robust community and business input, it charts a course for clean air, resilient infrastructure, and affordable housing which will help Harris County mitigate the effects of climate change 100 years into the future.

Helping Foster Youth

Every year, approximately 40 foster youth in the Harris County region – which includes Harris County as well as 12 other counties – are at risk of becoming homeless on their 18th birthday. Harris County opened the new HAY Center Campus in August, which provides housing and wraparound services for 50+ youth aging out of foster care each year. Harris County invested $32M into the new HAY Center campus through a mix of grant funding, ARPA funds and general funds.

Building International Relationships

Judge Hidalgo is working to show the rest of the world that Harris County is one of the best places to do business in. As a direct result of Judge Hidalgo’s Paris trade mission with Rice University and the Greater Houston Partnership, more than 50 international companies will travel to Houston/Harris County over the next year, which will help create jobs and expand our global footprint.

Strengthening Harris County’s Resiliency

Judge Lina Hidalgo hosts a town hall on emergency preparedness with (left to right) Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen, HCOHSEM Coordinator Mark Sloan, Flood Control District Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, and Red Cross Regional CEO Shawn Schulze.

Judge Hidalgo hosted a town hall with local and community leaders to discuss emergency preparedness. Panelists included Homeland Security & Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Sloan, Flood Control District Chief Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen, and representatives from the Sheriff’s Office.

The conversation covered hurricanes, flooding, chemical hazards, fires, winter storms, and large-scale events like the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The panelists also discussed alert systems, shelters for pets, and neighborhood-level practices that keep communities safe.

If you missed it, watch the town hall here.

Judge Hidalgo Announces She Will Not Seek a Third Term

Judge Hidalgo announces at a press conference that she will not seek a third term as Harris County judge and highlights Harris County’s historic progress.

Earlier this month, Judge Hidalgo announced that she will not seek a third term as Harris County Judge. She also highlighted the historic progress that Harris County has made since she first took office in 2019. Judge Lina Hidalgo is very proud of what Harris County has achieved in the almost seven years since she’s been in office. It’s been, and continues to be, an incredible honor for her to represent Harris County, and she looks forward to continuing the work throughout the rest of her term.

Learn more about Judge Hidalgo’s accomplishments so far here.