According to Harris County officials, Dr. Petersen expressed deep gratitude in a letter, saying she was thankful for the opportunity to serve the Commissioners Court and the residents of Harris County.
Her resignation comes one month after Petersen was in the hot seat over missed deadlines, prompting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and other county officials to question her position.
ABC13 learned that in a report, the commissioners were asking for important updates on 11 projects tied to $320 million in funding, which would go toward building new detention basins and improving bayous.
One of those projects was the Green Bayou Project, which was supposed to improve a five-mile stretch to protect tens of thousands of homes. Peterson asked for a nine-month extension of the project, which was not granted.
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The commissioners court scheduled the June 11 meeting to discuss it further, the day Peterson went ahead and announced her resignation.
"It's always difficult to make personnel changes, especially at the highest levels of county government. We're making a bet that a change in leadership will result in clearer communication with both Commissioners Court and the residents, but this is a necessary step for us to be able to get these projects back on track," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement regarding Petersen's exit.
Harris County commissioners said that during this transition, the Office of County Administration will work with Flood Control District leadership to support ongoing operations and progress of projects.
The commissioners' court said the next steps for the Flood Control District will be discussed at the June 25 meeting.