Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo holds first meeting for 7 hours
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she wanted to make the government more efficient, but her first commissioner's court meeting turned into a marathon session.
The meetings, which typically ran about an hour in the past, lasted about seven hours.
Hidalgo spent much of that time listening to members of the community who signed up to speak, and getting more familiar with the departments she now oversees.
As the top executive in Harris County, the most populous in Texas, Hidalgo is now in charge of a multi-billion dollar budget.
Making her way through Tuesday's lengthy agenda, she had some procedural questions.
As you'd expect with any job, there's a learning curve. But she led the court with confidence as they talked about some important issues like flood control, a $15 minimum wage for county employees and a possible partnership with the City of Houston's 311 system.
"I feel great. We got a lot done, from making sure that equity is included as we disburse flood recovery and mitigation funds, that there's a formal process for community input in that decision making, that there's transparency and folks understand where the money's going," said Hidalgo.
