HARRIS COUNTY, TX – Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling on Commissioners Court to delay $100 million in proposed law enforcement pay raises and instead use those funds to help reduce a $410 million shortfall in the 2018 flood bond program.
In a letter sent September 24, 2025, to County Auditor Mike Post and Budget Director Daniel Ramos, Judge Hidalgo suggested that Commissioners bring the law enforcement raises to voters in 2026 and repurpose the funds now to restart 27 flood bond projects currently on hold due to the funding gap.
During the September 19 Commissioners Court session, Harris County Flood Control District Director Tina Petersen said the county cannot fulfill all of the original bond commitments unless the deficit is addressed.
Over the course of the FY2026 budget planning process, the majority of Commissioners approved multiple financial commitments, including the law enforcement pay raises, that contributed to a $220 million budget deficit. To balance this, the Office of Management & Budget proposed a number of service cuts.
“Before creating a $220 million deficit and making the requisite cuts in order to fund it, the Harris County Commissioners Court has a responsibility to address the $410 million deficit in the flood bond,” Judge Hidalgo stated. “I’m calling for a Hail Mary and asking Commissioners to delay the $100 million pay raises by taking that to the voters next year, and instead use that $100 million to create a special fund that would be used to re-start promised flood control projects.”
