February 16, 2023

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s Statement on Harris County Decision to Waste Additional Taxpayer Resources in Effort to Defund the Police

(AUSTIN) — Harris County has always had the opportunity to resolve this by communicating with my office and with the constables who have remained at the negotiating table. Law enforcement has been consistently available and open to finding a local solution that is mutually acceptable to all parties. Instead, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Harris County commissioners would prefer to waste taxpayer resources with more frivolous legal action. 

Taxpayers already paid for a lawsuit in fall 2022 that changed absolutely nothing because the outcome simply restated the Comptroller’s position: Harris County can resolve this by fully funding the constables' office or getting voter permission to defund law enforcement. Unfortunately, Judge Hidalgo’s actions only served to poison previously fruitful negotiations with the Harris County constables.

Harris County law enforcement deserves a county judge and commissioner’s court that support their efforts to keep county residents, businesses and communities safe. Instead, Judge Hidalgo is wasting taxpayer dollars in her crusade to defund the police, satisfy her liberal donors in New York and San Francisco and further her own political career.

Note: For a copy of the Comptroller's notice of determination sent to the Harris County Commissioner's Court, go to the Comptroller's website.