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Harris County, TX, September 13, 2025, As Harris County continues to progress through budget season, Judge Lina Hidalgo is shedding light on what cuts residents can expect to see to county services and departments in the upcoming fiscal year, should commissioners vote to approve the proposed budget. 

Harris County is currently facing a $200M+ deficit, largely because the majority of Commissioners voted to pass an unfunded $100M raise for law enforcement in May 2025. At the September 9th, 2025 meeting of Commissioners Court, the majority of Commissioners voted to advance a budget that eliminates the deficit by making cuts to more than 50 county departments.

“There’s a saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some Commissioners want to say they have balanced the budget, eliminated our $200M+ deficit and passed raises for law enforcement – all without raising taxes or reducing services. That gives residents a false sense of security. Balancing the budget is not an achievement. It is a statutory requirement. I am committed to law enforcement raises, but not before asking the voters whether they want to fund those raises at the expense of critical county programs and services,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo.

View a full breakdown of the FY2026 budget cuts here. 

The proposed Harris County General Fund budget in full will be posted and formally considered for adoption at the September 24, 2025 Commissioners Court.

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