Hidalgo on failure to hold budget vote: 'It’s a really difficult day for the community'

The Harris County Commissioners Court met on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to vote on the county’s tax rate and budget, but instead, the Oct. 28 deadline will come with the impasse unresolved, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets.

For the fourth time, the five-person court’s two Republican members, R. Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey, were no-shows for budget talks, spurning them over what they claim is unnecessary new spending. State law dictates that in order for county governments to vote on tax matters, they must achieve a super quorum of four court members.

Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that residents who attended the meeting didn’t hold back on their frustration over the stalemate, which purportedly prevents additional county spending.

Per the station, some chastised Cagle and Ramsey for not meeting with their colleagues while others supported their effort to sink the new proposed tax rate brought up by the court’s Democratic majority.

“It’s a really difficult day for the community,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, KHOU reported.

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that $45 million for extra projects is presently on hold.

Among these is law enforcement much to the disappointment of Harris County District Attorney (DA) Kim Ogg.

"The budgets we've submitted were apparently contingent upon some kind of tax increase that they wanted on Harris County residents," Ogg told KTRK. "We're saying, fund law enforcement, defund something else."

According to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC, the DA’s office will be without $5 million while the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) won’t see $40 million.

The station reported that the supposedly underfunded Harris Health System (HHS) will be forced to cut life-saving services for 10,000 patients.

“Despite the misrepresentations from today, the proposed tax rates would’ve resulted in generating a quarter-billion dollars more in tax revenue,” Ramsey, who leads Harris County Precinct 3, said in a statement obtained by KPRC.

The newest member of the court further attacked what he called “wasteful spending for four years.”

“I am proud to have done my part in protecting our residents from the reckless management of their money,” Ramsey said in the statement.