Government
2 Harris County courts to study eviction diversion Two Harris County courts are aiming to fill two new full-time positions by the end of October focused on finding new ways, under Texas law, to strengthen eviction diversion efforts and improve
Harris County officials adopt $2.7B budget Harris County will be operating fiscal year 2023-24 on a $2.7 billion budget, a $500 million increase from last year’s budget, after commissioners unanimously approved the amount on Sept. 19. Digging deeper According to officials, the budget includes the most significant investment in public safety in the county’s history. • $119 million to law enforcement • $5 million to provide body-worn cameras to jail staff • $7.8 million in additional jail medical costs Other countywide funding includes $128 million for Harris County Flood Control District and $888 million for Harris Health.
Harris County eviction filings Since funding for county and city rental pandemic protections ended in 2022, eviction rates in Houston have skyrocketed.
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housing stability. What happened
Funding for the new positions was awarded in September by the National Center for State Courts’ Eviction Diversion Initiative to Justice of the Peace courtrooms covering Harris County Precinct 1-2— represented by Judge Steve Duble—and Precinct 2-2, represented by Judge Dolores Lozano. The joint application by the two judges was one of 10 to be approved nationally for the funding. The courts cover northwest and far southeast Houston. Why it matters Since January, more than 57,800 eviction cases
*2023 DATA IS AS OF SEPT. 20
SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS, JANUARY ADVISORS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
have been filed in Harris County, totaling more than $131 million in claims, according to consulting firm January Advisors. As of September, the county was on track to return to prepandemic historical averages for evictions. The approach With this grant, Duble said the two courts could connect people with social and legal services.
Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority budget passes
expenses projected to be around $24.3 million. What else? The official Fort Bend Grand Parkway Toll Road System 2023-2024 Capital Improvement Plan was also approved at the Sept. 26 meeting. The capital improvement plan covers a range of projects for the Grand Parkway, including lane expansions and bridge construction.
The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court convened Sept. 26 to review the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority’s upcoming annual budget and simultaneously approve an improvement plan for the Grand Parkway. The main focus of the meeting was the approval of the FBCTRA budget for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024. The total revenue for the fiscal year was budgeted at approximately $26 million, with
$835.2 million of Grand Parkway improvements were approved by the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority.
COURTESY FORT BEND COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY
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