Public commenters at the Aug. 14 Tarrant County budget workshop criticized the county for limited access to the draft budget and a compressed public-review timeline, saying residents and even some commissioners had insufficient time to analyze a nearly 300-page document before a vote was scheduled.

Dr. Harriet Harrell, one of the speakers during the workshop, told the court: "It's cynical to pretend that this was anything close to a real public hearing," saying the timing and format sent a message that public input was not being treated as consequential. Harrell asked the county to provide online tools for residents to suggest budget adjustments, hold more and better-advertised forums and provide a real interval between public comment and final votes so suggestions can be considered.

Jackie Cox, another speaker, said she attempted to review materials over the weekend but could not find the draft budget until Monday afternoon and asked the court to comply with the Local Government Code's requirements for itemized budgets and clearer comparisons to prior-year expenditures. Cox told the court she expected budgets to be posted 72 hours before meetings and requested additional line-item detail prior to adoption.

Several commissioners and staff acknowledged the compressed timeline and the difficulty it creates for public review. Court members and staff said they would continue to provide additional hearings and that the formal adoption vote and public hearings remain scheduled for September, including a required vote on compensation for certain elected officials.

Speakers urged the court to improve transparency by posting departmental budget requests earlier, adding public-facing online budget tools (several counties were cited as examples), and allowing more time between the public hearing and final action so citizen input can be incorporated.

No procedural change was adopted at the Aug. 14 workshop; the court moved the draft forward to the formal hearing and adoption process. Commenters requested a specific change to process and additional public engagement for future budget cycles.

Sources: public comments at Tarrant County budget workshop, Aug. 14 (remarks by Dr. Harriet Harrell and Jackie Cox).