Hidalgo walked out as county leaders discussed the budget.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo walked out of Commissioners Court on Tuesday as county leaders discussed looming budget decisions.
When talks of a exemptions from a hiring freeze arose, Hidalgo closed her laptop and stood up from her seat and left.
“I’m going to let you continue with the court. I don’t want to be a part of this nonsense,” she said.
Following Hidalgo’s exit, everyone took a break. After the break, Hidalgo returned to her seat, and Commissioners Court continued.
A short time later, when discussions about childcare programs came up, Hidalgo again stood up from her seat.
“I don’t know what we’re doing here if we’re not standing up for children. Shame on you,” Hidalgo said.
She then left the room while other commissioners took a presentation on permitting fee recovery.
A heated debate has transpired over the last month or so as they try to work out an apparent budget deficit.
A couple of weeks ago, Hidalgo claimed Harris County was facing a $220 million deficit, while other commissioners believed the budget would be either balanced or about $50 million in the red.
Hidalgo said a proposal to balance the budget includes cuts to several programs, fewer resources for emergency response, longer wait times for court hearings and case processing, and cuts to domestic violence response.
A final vote on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 18.
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