Harris County administrator outlines FY26 cuts, says research team to be pared as security, language-access budgets shift
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Summary
Interim County Administrator Jesse Dickerman told commissioners' court on Sept. 2 that OCA’s proposed FY26 book shrinks from last year and shifts several large line items — including security — out of the OCA operating total while pausing full implementation of the county’s Language Access Office.
Interim County Administrator Jesse Dickerman told commissioners' court on Sept. 2 that the Office of County Administration’s (OCA) proposed FY26 budget reflects a substantial reduction from last year and several programmatic changes intended to preserve core functions while meeting deficit targets. OCA staff and commissioners questioned where large line items had moved and why some programs were being paused.
Dickerman said the proposed OCA book shows a FY26 figure of roughly $13.8 million, though he said the “real” OCA operating baseline—excluding pass-throughs and ARPA positions—is closer to $12 million. He described nearly $3 million in “real” programmatic cuts that result from consolidating and eliminating vacant positions and trimming non‑labor spending. Dickerman said those reductions were painful but necessary given the county’s fiscal situation.
On a frequently asked question—where the courthouse/security money went—Dickerman said the consolidated security budget that had previously been shown inside OCA will be moved to a countywide non‑departmental line item for “non‑departmental spending,” where it will be easier to see as a pass-through rather than inflate OCA’s operating total. He said that security consolidation originally put several departments’ MOUs and building security into one budget for transparency, and that the transfer does not remove the spending, only the place it appears in the books.
On language access Dickerman told court that the county had set aside funds for a dedicated Language Access Office but that implementation had repeatedly stalled. He described the FY26 approach as a pause: the money would be made available in the budget process rather than sit unspent for another year, and OCA would work with stakeholders to produce a concrete implementation plan during FY26. District courts previously requested a separate Language Access Office budget of about $7.1 million; Dickerman said OCA continues to include language access costs in its larger figure but will not fully stand up the office in FY26 absent a finalized plan.
Dickerman also described the county’s Revolving Energy Fund (REF), which pays for energy‑conservation measures: he said annual utility savings routed to the fund have been roughly $1.8 million in recent years, with about half kept in the fund to pay for staff and projects and half returned to the general fund. He said utility‑management work (energy managers and utility analysts) has produced notable savings to date and that water conservation remains an opportunity.
On program choices, Dickerman said OCA concentrated reductions on the Research and Analysis Division (RAD) rather than spreading cuts across every function. He and court offices discussed that RAD had told commissioners in mid‑August that 18 active projects would be affected and likely moved to other departments if RAD staffing were cut. Dickerman said RAD produces independent research for court offices on topics ranging from justice issues to flood control and warned that losing that capability would be felt in the county’s policy capacity.
Commissioners and OCA also discussed contracting, CLS line items and consolidated functions (for example, OCA’s operations team performing agenda and HR administrative work for multiple offices). Dickerman said some functions that historically sat in OCA (security, earlier language‑access and some ARPA positions) were “pass throughs” or temporary and that moving them in the budget was intended to make operating baselines clearer.
Looking ahead, Dickerman said OCA recommends continued prioritization of strategic‑plan initiatives but with a narrower set of focus items in FY26 given reduced capacity. He also said OCA supports a countywide hiring‑freeze option as a less painful short‑term tool than position eliminations, paired with targeted exemptions where needed.
Ending, Dickerman thanked staff and court offices and said he would follow up with detailed lists of impacted RAD projects and a timeline for a language‑access implementation plan.
Speakers quoted or explicitly named in this article include: Interim County Administrator Jesse Dickerman; Commissioner Ben Ramsey; Gabriela Antion (Precinct 4); Director Daniel Ramos (Office of Management and Budget).
