Government
BY SARAH BRAGER
Erica Lee Carter new county administrator Commissioners Court appointed former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter as Harris County administrator e ective March 9. The details Carter leads the O ce of County Adminis- tration, or OCA, which oversees the day-to- day operations of the county.
Harris County issues second wave of $2.5B hospital bond Harris County commissioners approved a go-forward order Feb. 26 for the second round of bond funding from a $2.5 billion Harris Health referendum that voters approved in 2023. The big picture Harris Health received the rst $850 million installment in May 2025. Chief Operating O cer Louis Smith told commissioners the system has spent approximately $667 million as of Dec. 31. Bond-funded projects include the expansion of two Level-1 trauma hospitals, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ben Taub, and construction of new commu- nity clinics across Precincts 2, 3 and 4. Chief Financial O cer Victoria Nikitin said the projects are moving quickly, with an average spend of at least $80 million per month. Another
Total bond funding Harris Health bond spending to date The bond funds will cover the majority of the cost, with an additional $400 million in independent fundraising. Other funding sources** Bond funds spent*
Lyndon B. Johnson hospital
COST ESTIMATE AS OF JAN. 2026 $2.04B
$179M
$2.03B
$658M
Ben Taub hospital
$451M
$157M
$293M
$3.7M
$10.2M
Ambulatory care services
$490M
$310M
$4.8M
*THROUGH DECEMBER 2025 **INCLUDES FUNDRAISING, CASH ON HAND AND INTEREST FROM BOND PROCEEDS
“I know that I must maintain your trust, con dence and respect
SOURCE: HARRIS HEALTH COMMUNITY IMPACT
to execute the vision and directives of the Commissioners Court.” ERICA LEE CARTER, HARRIS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
update will be provided in May. At LBJ’s campus in northeast Houston, Harris Health is on track to complete a new $50 million parking garage by the rst quarter of 2027 and a $153 million central utility plant later that year.
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SPRING KLEIN EDITION
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