Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo once again turned a budget meeting into a spectacle Tuesday, storming out of a budget meeting after her push for higher property taxes went nowhere.
Things got even stranger when Democratic Commissioner Adrian Garcia, the former sheriff, floated the idea of “requesting” that county law enforcement not work with ICE agents. He was warned the move carried “tremendous legal risk” and said it would have to be discussed behind closed doors.
After hours of debate, the 3-2 majority on Commissioners Court instead advanced a $4 billion plan that keeps long-promised raises for law enforcement while plugging the deficit with freezes, surplus funds, and program cuts. A final vote is set for September 18, but it’s already the second time Hidalgo has turned a budget fight into political drama.