8. Timeline and votes¶
| Date | Event | Vote / outcome |
|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Five-Year Financial Plan (BCG for OMB) warns General Fund balance could turn negative by FY29; FY25 CLS gap $129M | Report |
| Sept. 19, 2024 | FY25 budget; county uses disaster exception to raise rate 0.35007 to 0.38529 (+10%) | Adopted |
| May 22, 2025 | Law-enforcement pay parity with HPD approved by motion; no funding source; deficit projection $130M to $270M+ | 3-2 |
| Sept. 24, 2025 | FY26 budget $2,769M adopted with $142M parity, $25M hiring freeze, $78M jail medical shifted to Harris Health | 3-2 (Garcia, Briones, Ramsey for; Ellis, Hidalgo against) |
| Nov. 4, 2025 | County ratifies tax year 2025 no-new-revenue M&O rate 0.33696 (total 0.38096) | Ratified |
| Late 2025 / Feb. 2026 | Pay-equity study adopted ($73M/yr) and implemented | 3-1 (Ramsey against) |
| May 14, 2026 | OMB FY27 forecast: $129M gap at max rate, $257M at no-new-revenue rate | Presentation |
| July 9, 2026 | Baker Institute review: structural deficit, working-capital opacity, headcount growth | Report |
| Aug. 6, 2026 | Elected officials' salaries set at $305,000 (County Clerk declines) | Approved; Hidalgo against |
| Aug. 17, 2026 | Proposed FY27 budget $3,096M presented; gap $181M; special meeting | Presentation |
| Sept. 8, 2026 | Proposed rates and amendments (premium increases removed; $15.1M of additions); 140+ speakers | 3-2 |
| Sept. 17, 2026 | County rate 0.41750 adopted; budget $3,095M adopted; FY27 begins Oct. 1 | Rate 3-1; budget 3-2 |
Table 6. Sources: Five-Year Financial Plan; FY26 and FY27 budget books; Auditor June 2026 report; HPM; Community Impact; Fox 26; The Texan; Baker Institute.