HARRIS COUNTY, TX – Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling for renewed ethics reforms following an audit showing that the Harris County Flood Control District failed to implement procurement safeguards unanimously adopted by Commissioners Court over a year ago.
According to a new report from the independent Harris County Auditor’s Office, the Flood Control District has not followed through on key reforms passed in April 2024, which required written procedures for vendor selection, documentation of the procurement process, and conflict of interest forms for employees involved in awarding contracts. These measures were originally adopted after a previous audit in November 2023 flagged deficiencies in procurement practices.
The latest audit found the district still lacks documentation justifying vendor selection decisions, including evaluation criteria. It also found that conflict of interest forms remain incomplete or inconsistent with the standards agreed upon by the court.
“These audits have been a game changer for accountability,” said Judge Hidalgo, reiterating her call for all contracts to be routed through the independent Purchasing Department. “It’s unacceptable that Flood Control has failed to implement ethical reforms Commissioners Court agreed on unanimously nearly two years ago, especially when the audit shows there are risks of conflicts of interest in how flood control contracts are awarded.”
The findings come amid a $410 million shortfall in the 2018 flood bond, which has forced 27 projects to be placed on hold indefinitely.
Judge Hidalgo also noted that neither the Auditor’s Office nor the Purchasing Agent reports to her, as both are appointed by independent boards.
The release of the audit follows a recent media report highlighting concerns about campaign contributions from county contractors, and Commissioners Court is expected to receive a separate audit of the Engineering Department’s procurement practices in the coming months.
