Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OMB proposes $2.66 billion budget; commissioners debate paying now vs. later
Summary
Harris County OMB presented a proposed $2.66 billion FY2025 budget that relies on an 8% disaster tax allowance and includes major drivers such as $51M in outsourcing and $50M for pay‑equity; commissioners questioned program priorities, ongoing deficits and whether to ask voters for higher rates.
The Office of Management and Budget recommended a $2.66 billion budget for FY2025, an 11% increase from last year, and framed its proposal around the voter‑approved disaster rate that would allow an 8% revenue rise this year. "We are recommending a budget of 2,660,000,000," OMB Director Daniel Ramos told the court.
Ramos highlighted major cost drivers including a roughly $51 million outsourcing cost (partly covered by ARPA previously), a $50 million allocation to implement a pay‑equity study, and $287.7 million planned for the county toll‑road program. He also noted $199 million of projected additional property‑tax revenue and identified $23 million in jail‑medical costs proposed for transfer to Harris Health. Commissioners pressed on assumptions, potential cuts, and which programs—especially ARPA‑funded initiatives—would be sustained if ongoing federal funds lapse. Commissioner questions focused on revenue sensitivity, performance measures for proposed cuts, and whether the court should present a tax‑rate question to voters. OMB staff described the draft as a starting point meant to be amended during upcoming hearings.
Why it matters: The budget shapes pay‑equity, law enforcement and social‑service funding countywide and sets up ballot choices for voters. Commissioners asked OMB for more granular line‑item detail and for a clear inventory of ARPA‑funded programs not included in the draft. The court scheduled continued hearings and budget‑amendment processes in late August and September.
