Commissioners’ Court: Thursday, March 27, 2025

Mar 13, 2025 | Legislative Update

Harris County Commissioners Court: This session was held at 10 am on Thursday, March 27, 2024 at the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston, First Floor, on the north side of downtown Houston.

Information follows on why we needed to be there to request the appointment of a new County Attorney, a highly qualified Republican, Jacqueline Lucci Smith.  (Her qualifications are posted below!) 

Besides redistricting, the following items appeared on the agenda for Harris county commissioners court for 3/27.

“Intergovernmental and Global Affairs 208.Request for discussion and possible action regarding the Harris County Legislative Agenda.”

 MORE on Lucci-Smith

“The Harris County Republican party has called for the appointment of Jacqueline Lucci Smith to fill the county attorney office vacated by Christian Menefee.  “With Menefee now abandoning his office just three months into the term, it is the duty of Commissioners Court to respect the will of the more than 700,000 Harris County voters who cast their vote for Lucci Smith by appointing her to the position rather than arbitrarily selecting an appointee of their choosing who has not been vetted by voters,” read a statement by the Harris County GOP. 

Menefee, who narrowly defeated Lucci Smith last November, recently resigned his position to run for Congress, seeking the seat left vacant after the death of Sylvester Turner. He will face off against former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, who is also running to fill the seat.

The Texas Constitution mandates the automatic resignation of certain public officials, including county attorneys, when they become candidates for a different office. The commissioners court must now appoint someone to fill the role until an election is held.

The county attorney serves as the chief civil lawyer for Harris County, representing the government, its 60 elected officials, and over 18,000 employees in civil matters.

Lucci Smith previously worked as legislative counsel and held roles as a civil court judge and assistant county attorney.

Republican Precinct Chair and President of the Cherry Tree Republican Club Jeff MacGeorge told Texas Scorecard, “Jacqueline Lucci Smith would bring an intense knowledge of the law to the Harris County Attorney’s Office, just missing the election in November 2024 by only 17,017 votes.”

“We need good judicial governance in our Harris County Attorney’s Office,” MacGeorge continued. “She was endorsed by HCRP in 2024; I believe Jacqueline is that person. I believed that in 2024, and I still believe that.” https://texasscorecard.com/local/harris-county-gop-calls-for-appointment-of-jacqueline-lucci-smith-as-county-attorney/   

You can reach your county commissioners at the following email addresses:
• Lina Hidalgo: judge.hidalgo @harriscountytx.gov
• Rodney Ellis: Comm_Ellis@cp1.hctx.net
• Adrian Garcia: commissioner@pct2hctx.net
• Tom Ramsey: pct3@pct3.com
• Leslie Briones: service@hcp4.com

Legislative Report / Commissioner’s Court May 7

Apr 20, 2024 | Legislative Update

The next Harris County Commissioners Court hearing is at 10 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston, Suite 934, on the north side of downtown Houston. Please join Alexie Swirsky there to support our only Republican Harris County Commissioner, Tom Ramsey.

If you would like to speak on an agenda item (see https://agenda.harriscountytx.gov/), sign up online the night before and be at the court by 9:30 am)

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Alexie and Theresa Thomas attended the HCCC hearing  on 3/26/24. Concerning issues are:

     1) Commissioners want to put constables under the sheriff’s dept.,

     2) Commissioners want to hire law firms to revisit the O’Donnell decision,

     3). Commissioners want to install the universal income program.  https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-harris-county-over-illegal-guaranteed-income-welfare-scheme   

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Uniform and Special Election Saturday May 4, 2024  For a sample ballot see https://www.harrisvotes.com/Voter/Whats-on-my-Ballot.

      For vote centers see https://www.harrisvotes.com/Vote-Centers. 

     HCAD election for SD 15.  No R candidates for SD 15

There is also an election of board members to ESD 11  (Emergency Services District 11) at the fire station on Champion Forest Dr just south of 1960. They are running their own election. Download polling locations here: https://harriscountyesd11.gov/election/ 

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The Primary runoff  is Tuesday May 28. Early voting starts Monday May 20

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VDVR training is coming up in May – no date set yet

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State Republican Convention is in  San Antonio – May 23-25.  https://convention.texasgop.org/ 

Legislative Report / Commissioner’s Court April 23

Apr 13, 2024 | Legislative Update

 The next Harris County Commissioners Court hearing is at 10 am on Tuesday, April 23 at the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston, Suite 934, on the north side of downtown Houston. Please join Alexie Swirsky there to support our only Republican Harris County Commissioner, Tom Ramsey.

If you would like to speak on an agenda item (see https://agenda.harriscountytx.gov/), sign up online the night before and be at the court by 9:30 am)

Theresa spoke with Landon Reed who said we may be able to get a district van to take people in NW Houston to HCCC.

*******

Alexie and Theresa Thomas attended the HCCC hearing  on 3/26/24. Concerning issues are:

     1) Commissioners want to put constables under the sheriff’s dept.,

     2) Commissioners want to hire law firms to revisit the O’Donnell decision,

     3). Commissioners want to install the universal income program.  https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-harris-county-over-illegal-guaranteed-income-welfare-scheme   

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Uniform and Special Election Saturday May 4:  Early voting starts April 22

      For a sample ballot see https://www.harrisvotes.com/Voter/Whats-on-my-Ballot.

      For vote centers see https://www.harrisvotes.com/Vote-Centers. 

     HCAD election for SD 15.  No R candidates for SD 15

     There is also an election of board members to ESD 11  (Emergency Services District 11) at the fire station on Champion Forest Dr just south of 1960. They are running their own election. Download polling locations here: https://harriscountyesd11.gov/election/ 

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The Primary runoff  is Tuesday May 28. Early voting starts Monday May 20

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The Lincoln Reagan Dinner is April 26th where Alexie Swirsky will be presented the Patriot Award. https://secure.anedot.com/harris-county-republican-party/2024lrd 

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VDVR training is coming up in May – no date set yet

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State Republican Convention is in  San Antonio – May 23-25.  https://convention.texasgop.org/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legislative Report / Commissioner’s Court April 23

Dutch Lunch March 21

Feb 25, 2024 | Dutch Lunch

Ladies, find out how to get potholes fixed and other helpful tips at our next Dutch Lunch. Brent Clingerman or Landon Reed from County Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s office will be informing us of how we can get things get done in our neighborhoods. Join us for lunch at Spring Creek BBQ on Hyw 249 and Louetta at 11:30.

Legislative Update / Commissioner’s Court March 26

Feb 25, 2024 | Legislative Update

Legislative Report for TTPRW February, 2024

The next Harris County Commissioners Court hearing is at 10 am on Tuesday, March 26 at the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston, Suite 934, on the north side of downtown Houston. Please join Alexie Swirsky there to support our only Republican Harris County Commissioner, Tom Ramsey. If you would like to speak on an agenda item (see https://agenda.harriscountytx.gov/), sign up online the night before and be at the court by 9:30 am)

Alexie Swirsky spoke at the Harris County Commissioners Court hearing on January 30 about the urgent need for reform in the Harris County jail, which has not passed a state inspection for at least 8 years, as follows:

  “Families claim there have been nearly 70 deaths at the Harris County jail in the last three years. The Harris County jail is run like a jail in a Third World country.”

Why was Shirley Williams Houston, a 73 year-old with dementia, released from the jail out into the cold and dark at 4 am on January 11? Is there even a protocol for releasing mentally impaired people from the jail? It seems that releasing inmates who have low functioning mental abilities with no one in the family being informed is a common practice of the Harris County jail.
Often this means they instantly become homeless, without even a basic mental ability to take care of themselves.

Relatives of Shirley Williams Houston say they have no idea how she got from the jail downtown to Deussen Park, which is more than 20 miles away. Her body was found in the park, on January 18, 1 week after being released from the jail at 4 am. This was just a few weeks ago.

How long are there going to be studies of the jail instead of actions taken to drastically improve the safety of both the jailers and the inmates?

Please prioritize reforming the Harris County jail.”

Other issues to be questioned include the new Uplift program, giving $500 a month to qualified low income applicants in 9 zip codes, with no accountability for how the money is spent.

Commissioner Ramsey is also concerned about Harris County running daycares, which is not a legitimate county function.

The Texas legislature is not meeting until January, 2025 unless Governor Abbott calls a special session.