Proposed bill would let Harris County law enforcement sign contracts without oversight
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Harris County sheriff's and constables' offices may soon be able to sign off on deals with local neighborhoods without needing county commissioners to give the green light. That's only if a proposed state bill becomes law.
"Without this legislation, Harris County law enforcement is in big trouble," Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said.
That legislation Herman is referring to is HB 26. If passed and signed into law, it would allow counties with a population of 3.3 million or larger to negotiate contracts with neighborhood groups and HOAs without permission from the county commissioners.
"We were really just trying to take the politics out of it and let's just do the service of what we are required to do to keep everybody safe," Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said.
While some of the constables feel this move would boost public safety, some county commissioners voiced their concerns against it. Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis feels it could lead to the misuse of public funds. He sent ABC13 a statement that reads:
"This bill is yet another chapter in Greg Abbott's ongoing war on local government, and a blatant attempt to undermine public oversight and hand over taxpayer dollars to elected officials with no accountability. Harris County residents deserve transparency and responsible stewardship of their money, not backroom contracts that drain public resources."
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia also has the same concerns he voiced in a statement that said:
"In my capacity as a former HPD patrol cop and as the former Sheriff of Harris County, I am strongly opposed to these bills. Public safety should not be a question of who can afford to pay extra. As a current Harris County Commissioner, my opposition is even stronger. Taking precinct budgets in lieu of a tax increase, as was proposed during our current budget negotiations, this has the absolute potential to force major future tax increases, just to sustain basic services."
But Harris County Precinct 7 Constable Smokie Phillips feels constables should make their own deals with neighborhoods.
"If we can bypass the bureaucracy of it, it will be great for some communities," he said.
He says that with the current system, many neighborhoods he serves often can't afford those extra services, and he can help better negotiate a contract without the oversight since he can do it on his own.
"I don't have the luxury of saying I have a big lucrative contract with Precinct 7. This community has been disenfranchised, marginalized. If this allows and helps us get into those neighborhoods that are marginalized, underserved, this would be great," Phillips said.
