Final Statement on the FY2026 Harris County Budget 

Crafting a budget that serves our constituents is the most important responsibility we have in public service. A budget is a moral document, the defining measure of our values. 

This year, Harris County entered budget season facing unprecedented attacks from the state and federal governments. Governor Greg Abbott’s revenue caps and President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to gut services have slashed access to health care, living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and protections against climate change and disasters. These deliberate assaults on local governments are designed to weaken the very communities we serve. 

In the face of these historic challenges, our duty is clear: to stand up for working families, invest in health care and housing, and expand economic opportunity.  

Unfortunately, this budget does the opposite. 

As the Trump Administration prepares to slash billions of dollars from Medicaid, this budget reduces maternal and child health services, leaving new mothers and babies more vulnerable. 

While Houston struggles with the highest poverty rate of any major city, this budget cuts housing programs that keep families stable and safe. 

As climate change intensifies storms, heat, and industrial risks, and looming cuts to FEMA jeopardize our national emergency response capabilities, this budget cuts air monitoring, nuisance abatement, and emergency response, including our disaster relief fund, weakening our defenses against pollution and disasters. 

While families already spend more than they can afford on rent and groceries, we froze or eliminated hundreds of positions in public health, housing, and community services, forcing residents to do more with less. 

As the Trump Administration and the state of Texas escalate mass incarceration and strip away civil liberties, our budget doubles down, discontinuing community-based support that could keep youth out of the system. 

This budget is not just morally but also fiscally irresponsible. It relies on using smoke and mirrors financial tricks like using $50 million in one-time funds to pay for ongoing obligations, threatening our stability and mortgaging the future of Harris County for years to come.  

• Affordable housing
• Lead abatement to preserve the health of families in need  
• Access to maternal and child health (greatly reduced)  
• Chronic disease prevention programs that serve thousands of constituents  
• Millions of dollars to protect Harris County’s resilience and ability to respond to disasters  

• Nuisance abatement to clean up abandoned and neglected buildings throughout unincorporated Harris County  

• Mission-critical services for foster youth in shelters  

• Further expansion of the HART program to address issues such as poverty, substance use, mental health, and housing challenges through emergency response  

• Emergency environmental response capabilities that protect public safety  

• Air monitoring to hold corporate polluters accountable  

• Discontinuing community-based support for kids to prevent them from getting trapped in the criminal legal system  

Before this week, I had only voted against one budget in my entire career. As a state senator, I even authored a $113 billion state budget that passed unanimously through a conservative Texas Legislature. I am no stranger to compromise.  Yesterday, I voted no on a budget for the second time ever. I will never stop fighting for the working people of Harris County.  Respectfully,  Commissioner Rodney Ellis