Urban Reform's Blain calls speed of Harris County administrator's appointment 'unacceptable'

Harris County officials acted too quickly in proposing and voting on the appointment of an administrator to operate at the center of the government, according to critics.

The county Commissioners Court abruptly served notice that a vote would be held at last week's meeting, at which time the proposal passed 3-2 despite protests from two Republican members and some members of the public. The vote confirmed county budget director David Berry to the position.

Houston's Fox 26 reported that Judge Lina Hidalgo's proposal was added to the agenda "very quietly, with zero public discussion." The speed of the move was also criticized by some outside observers, including the head of a Houston-based free-market think tank.

"As far as the Harris County administrator, the main problem is the speed with which they passed this," Charles Blain, president of the Urban Reform Institute, told Houston Daily. "The commissioners approved a major restructuring of county government with little time for public input and for such a significant reform. That is unacceptable."

Apart from the speed of the process, Republicans on the court raised concerns that the balance of power would lean farther to one side of the partisan divide. Fox 26 also reported that the proposal had opposition from those who believe Hidalgo has been "steadily stripping powers from elected officials and handing them to bureaucrats she controls."

The administrator, following a model used by several large Texas counties, will coordinate and oversee departments, as reported by Houston Public Media.

“We need to take the politics out of the minutiae of what materials are used for a broadband tower," Hidalgo said at the meeting. “We just need to decide that we need broadband. For a very long time, the tendency in Harris County for many decades [was that] folks that end up in these departments are somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody. This county administrator will be in charge of evaluating, making the decisions as to who the department heads are. And, of course, the Commissioner’s Court always can hold the county administrator accountable."

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, however, said the appointment by the five-member court is a cause for concern.

“That means that three of us will control the county administrator, and the power will actually be increased in your column instead of defused,” Cagle said.

At the meeting, public participants decried the lack of transparency and the short notice.