Harris County officials are clashing over the size of a looming budget deficit even as they voted this week to commit nearly half a million dollars to host the Gay Softball World Series.
The Harris County Commissioners Court is grappling with a looming budget deficit—though multiple commissioners, along with County Judge Lina Hidalgo, disagree on how severe that deficit actually is.
Tom Ramsey, the lone Republican on Commissioners Court, has presented a balanced budget contingent on his proposed cuts. Commissioner Lesley Briones, meanwhile, has estimated a $48 million deficit, while Hidalgo has claimed the current shortfall sits closer to $220 million.
During this week’s meeting, Hidalgo blamed other commissioners for the budget gap. Using a portion of the public comment time, she said: “Precincts 2, 3, and 4 did not follow the recommendations of the budget director, leading to a $200 [million] deficit they now have to patch … I’d like to call it shop-a-holic.”
Earlier this month, Harris County’s eight elected constables requested pay raises that would nearly double their salaries, citing raises already approved for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department.
Several commissioners, including Briones and Adrian Garcia, discussed the proposal but stopped short of stating how they would vote. Briones noted her support for pay parity among all law enforcement officers but did not clarify her stance on the constables’ request. Garcia echoed the sentiment, saying he supported parity with HPD.
This week, Garcia attempted to tie the pay raise issue to a broader proposal to consolidate some county services. No other commissioner seconded his measure, effectively killing it.
Separately, both Briones and Garcia floated the idea of a countywide hiring freeze. According to them, the freeze could free up roughly $25 million to help address the deficit while preserving essential services such as law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.
Despite the ongoing budget concerns, commissioners voted 4–1 this week to allocate funding for the 2025 Gay Softball World Series. The measure, sponsored by Garcia, dedicates $468,610 to the tournament, with Ramsey casting the lone “no” vote.
Garcia said the money would come in part from a tourism fund designed to attract events that bring visitors to the county.
However, while part of the funding does come from that tourism fund, the other part comes from Precinct 2’s General Fund—largely supported by property taxes. In effect, at least 50 percent of the $468,610 will come from local property tax revenue that could otherwise be directed toward general county needs.
Ramsey, criticizing the decision, said: “This is the reason we’re in a budget deficit. Often—very often—I am the only vote against this discretionary spending. My record is clear. The math is simple—more stuff, more taxes. More taxes, less for you and your family.”
Jeff Sloan, an iPride commissioner speaking on behalf of the World Series, noted that in past years the State of Texas had typically covered this type of funding through state revenue. This year, however, the state denied the request, forcing organizers to turn to Harris County for financial support.
