Budget
What would be your budget priorities during your term? What specific actions would you take to address these priorities?
Experience matters. I have 32 years of experience as a former Harris County Commissioner and 15 years serving in law enforcement. My priority was then and is now to build safer communities. Safe communities are sustained through the development and maintenance of sound infrastructure within the Precincts and by supporting law enforcement needs for patrol and resources. I will work to ensure the Precinct 4 budget and the County budget provide adequate funding for both. Further, taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars need to be used wisely. I will make it a priority to reduce property taxes through efficient and effective budgeting by weeding out wasteful spending by Harris County. I would be honored to serve and work for you on Commissioners Court.
Inflation
The 2025 State of Housing report found cost-burdened households are increasing across Harris County. What actions would you take as Commissioner to address housing affordability and the cost of living for residents of your precinct?
First, we need to reduce property taxes that dramatically affect both owners and renters. In the last 2 years, Harris County property taxes have gone up a whopping 17.6%. Yet, the County has a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. Commissioners Court must set a budget adequately funding mandatory County responsibilities, reduce the deficit by eliminating wasteful spending and not creating new programs that taxpayers will be forced to fund. We can work with other government agencies, private industries, and nonprofits to assist residents in need. On the State level, work with the Texas Legislature and Department of Insurance in an effort to bring down property insurance rates. Solutions are there if Court members work together.
Role
How would you balance your responsibility to your precinct’s specific needs with your role as a member of Commissioners Court overseeing the full county budget and services?
For 32 years, I balanced taking care of my Precinct’s needs while looking after the overall needs of Harris County. Working together, Commissioners Court set budgets for the Precincts, County Departments and other County statutory requirements and we stuck to those budgets. We did not spend more than we had, and we made sure we had contingency funds, especially for natural disaster relief. Over the last 20 years that I served on Commissioners Court, the County property tax rate was not raised, we never had a budget deficit and had an AAA bond rating. We can balance the budget again, reduce property taxes by using common sense in how tax dollars are spent and partner more with the State and Federal Governments to leverage additional funds.
Disaster Preparedness
What is your assessment of Harris County’s current level of investment in disaster preparedness and flood risk reduction, and what changes, if any would you prioritize?
The County previously had a reserve fund dealing with natural disasters that is now depleted. We must rebuild this reserve fund and restrict its use to only disaster related events. Additionally, we must push to finish needed flood control improvement projects. In 2018, a Flood Control Bond vote passed to fund $2.5 billion in projects. These funds have been highly compromised by delays and revisions. Several approved projects prioritized to alleviate downstream flooding were discarded. The original funding has depreciated while the cost of engineering and construction has increased. To complete flood control projects that are imperative to community safety, Commissioners Court must work with the new Harris County Flood Control Director.
