[{"_1":2,"_96":-5,"_97":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,84],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6657215,"mediaKeyId","5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc","parentId",5085923,"title","Commissioner reports Paris trade mission; delegates expect follow-up investor visits to Houston","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5833000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc&start=5833&end=5833","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc/thumbnail_5833000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6657215/Harris-County/Texas/Commissioner-reports-Paris-trade-mission-delegates-expect-follow-up-investor-visits-to-Houston","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657215-ea71ff84dc75410fc511431cbbe78f96/orig.mp4?Expires=1770532312&Signature=dw36zLFhTid1BQmEpFymaHWsxniyeiqtsj39XKK5OghsZ584VQsMJ6jkj0XU23FzFX1NDiAFuhdVYJInaBvku0ZN5-iIKeUUawJmBwZ85JaSMmXoh20g~asLnqLx5--ZT-29CehS1VJ~s4H0ExksFuvw6iuTt20c1hmz2hU~KMJEDGELwNlKTJhuXXKa1Fk1YFa0KMIU6axpjBKSB4OIWleXzUDNgVOAKjn9RuqTRfp~k~RlztjNiBqwqPZZl5Q5fPsLMPgiVvfH~3Oa95zd-a9Phcjv92OWHKHOjfacHRIsVww7LLroE9Z2YGSP9gjDivtBX0hNa6eBmQa2kZRwzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harris","date","2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","article","Commissioners heard an update on an economic-delegation trip to Paris, led by the County Judge and county delegates, that county officials said produced business leads and follow-up visits that could translate into investment and jobs for Harris County.

“Houston and Harris County are at the cutting edge of really important industries,” the Judge said, summarizing the mission’s pitch to potential investors and industry federations. The report said delegates met leaders from Bpifrance, regional economic development offices and industry trade groups. Bpifrance, a large French public investment bank, told the delegation it plans a delegation of roughly 20 companies to Houston in March 2026, county officials said.

Several delegates described business opportunities and new contacts made on the trip. Logan Farrell, co‑founder and CTO of Record Robotics, noted the mission helped his company meet potential international partners and investors; he described the visit to the Houston booth at a major Paris tech conference as “a great way to continue to build that mind share that the cool things and important things and good technology is developed here in Houston.” The county said other delegations are planning return visits and a French‑American business forum to explore possible investments.

Commissioners accepted the report with no action required. The judge and delegates said they would return with requests to use internal office travel budgets for future delegation work and requested permission to bring security detail on future missions as they have done in prior years.

The update focused on business development outcomes rather than on county expenditures; the court did not authorize additional funding during the meeting. Commissioners stressed that trade missions are competitive and noted the importance of follow-up to turn introductions into firm investments and jobs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harris - Commissioners Court - Jun 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioner-led delegation to Paris generated business leads and planned return visits, county leaders said. Delegates including local startups and Rice University representatives reported investor interest in cleantech, medtech, aerospace and port-related investments and scheduled follow-up trade visits to Houston in 2026.","taxTitle","Harris County, Texas","taxId",2707,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":42,"_43":77,"_45":77,"_46":78,"_48":79,"_50":80,"_52":81,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":82,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":83,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6657220,"Court hears jail population drop and backlog data; appoints new judge for Criminal Court at Law No. 12",7866000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc&start=7866&end=7866","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc/thumbnail_7866000.jpg","/articles/6657220/Harris-County/Texas/Court-hears-jail-population-drop-and-backlog-data-appoints-new-judge-for-Criminal-Court-at-Law-No-12","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657220-dd11a9f234be04465a18e1cc857248db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770532312&Signature=JjtZDqfWYYVKWzm4r2b-xZEYdUl-dWk9F8NhWFZc8N55MPxygy6uKPYc6AIg35chtPm392EIgR8HKWJtAeVEvOtZj8VIOiHkBZF0Y7BLJskDBahM5pQiFNvEIq4qKqAzoLm2Rai6xknxReUFLwqvBofRmmgHVqBI-74snJCoxUJ1npcdVfHtWfvQ9VCUyiQ2kd6EXNJtD9~rC~J9~3f46rT~o0hAZJmnZOx7~M3vIw-eFWYLxfqMCzY2O4GqQvg0lYmHnChS9xf6yN2xUQg754mNVLEfJjZj-iYoeVM0mi8nR46nz-tkx2BQTt5ujJRVCOovaUCAhj54oLihpXeYWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Harris County administrators reported on June 26 that the county jail population has declined from a fiscal-year high of 9,905 to 8,807 (June 1 snapshot), and that several indicators of case movement have improved. County administration and criminal-justice stakeholders told the Commissioners Court this week that felony dispositions have increased in recent months and that the number of people in custody more than 1,000 days has fallen.

“Meaningful progress has been made in reducing the jail population, particularly dispositions of felony cases, which are currently drivers of the jail population,” County administration managing director Tonya Mills told the court in a presentation. Mills said average daily population in early June was about 8,840 and that the number of backlog cases—defined as cases pending more than 365 days—has dropped compared with 2024 levels.

Mills and public-safety staff highlighted several ongoing strategies aimed at sustaining reductions: (1) expanding court capacity by adding afternoon jail dockets for targeted judges; (2) expanding the public defender’s office so more cases are handled by salaried defenders rather than private appointment counsel; and (3) hiring and training additional detention officers so the county can reduce reliance on outsourced correctional staffing.

“Until such time as the public defender’s office is able to take a higher percentage of cases, jail population reductions and case dispositions will continue to rely more heavily on private appointment attorney appointments,” Mills said. The court’s discussion also touched on evidence-processing delays, DNA and ballistics laboratory turnaround, and the need for better invoice cadence from private counsel to improve forecasting and oversight of indigent-defense costs.

Sheriff’s leadership and county staff said the Sheriff’s Office has sent new officer classes to the academy and expects additional graduates in the weeks ahead. The sheriff’s office said it believes it can make significant reductions to outsourced correctional staffing by the end of this calendar year if recruitment and training continue on the current pace.

Separately, the court took action on a judicial appointment. By motion and second, the court appointed Ashley Mays Geis to the vacant judgeship of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12, effective July 7, 2025. The appointment follows an earlier top-staff reorganization in the public-defense office. The court directed the Office of County Administration and Human Resources to complete the administrative steps necessary to place Geis on the bench.

Court members and stakeholders emphasized the need for continued monitoring of misdemeanor bookings (a rising trend) so gains on felony disposition do not get offset by increases in lower-level bookings. The court asked for regular follow-ups on afternoon-docket pilots, hiring progress for detention officers and a closer review of indigent-defense invoicing practices so the county can better forecast and manage related costs.","County administration reported a decline in jail population and felony backlog; Commissioners discussed strategies including afternoon dockets and hiring to reduce outsourced capacity. The court appointed Ashley Mays Geis to Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 effective July 7, 2025.",{"_33":85,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":86,"_41":87,"_43":88,"_45":89,"_46":90,"_48":91,"_50":92,"_52":93,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":94,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":95,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6657225,"Harris County court orders Quartile 1 funding, demands dashboard after community protests over flood-bond equity",6488,365000,6853000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc&start=365&end=6853","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085923-b07b9ff2cb7762ab760ab825abed30fc/thumbnail_365000.jpg","/articles/6657225/Harris-County/Texas/Harris-County-court-orders-Quartile-1-funding-demands-dashboard-after-community-protests-over-flood-bond-equity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657225-f16de8ef1499a86f4c1de125a8d986f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770532312&Signature=V6XgxxTfwiyqlHipvw3oDughOkqYlEtMjozaUcRYOe5C6wFsl6GRMsY~XBXKYUbIms8~0jqKOmdE9mRe6FSF-FfK~LNSv~Am4kd-evkB6HOQYQdbEjDgpSLsuTNAfUJPO3PcvGlSmu8tPps65ZKwFKvVj43nm8mo9eujDlMBiPPhCYEzAvSDg3XlGcft79wqbBqanO01vie6WeXBvWTLo~4GFtE6rwH-BXaIDcpOECk~lu~mG1EJfUgZSRvppMjfK6y8168bYObVjsfXBLdyA6mSrOu2s-n1An0VS383MHN9EMWU-aIXJkjtjBzt8cNLzCL8~sQtE8vJkC8puOry3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harris County Commissioners Court voted on June 26 to direct the Flood Control District to fully fund current and future needs for projects in Quartile 1 of the county's 2022 prioritization framework and to develop a publicly accessible flood-bond project dashboard. The court also directed the district to assess additional, high-impact projects not previously reviewed under the framework and to return with recommendations by Sept. 18, 2025.

The action came after a lengthy public-comment period in which more than three dozen residents and community advocates from neighborhoods including Northeast Houston, Sunnyside, Lakewood and Denver Harbor urged the court to honor the equity provisions approved when voters passed the 2018 flood bond. “The bond we voted for in 2018 requires equity,” said speaker Doris Brown, who identified herself as a resident and flood-bond advocate. “When this court discussed the bond, you promised the prioritization system would be followed to help flood-prone communities. This was your commitment.”

Advocates repeatedly told the court that the Flood Control District’s public reporting is incomplete or difficult to find. “We need a dashboard to where we can see where these projects start and when they finish,” Benjamin Broadway told the court. “Make it accessible for the visually impaired and the handicapped.” Bayou City Waterkeeper, the Northeast Action Collective, Texas Housers and other local groups urged that social-vulnerability metrics remain central to project selection and that partnership funding be counted in ways that do not disadvantage low-property-value neighborhoods.

The court’s motions followed a presentation and discussion that highlighted cost and scheduling challenges facing the flood-bond program. County staff and the Flood Control District told the court the original bond program envisioned about $2.5 billion in county funding and that partnerships and grants have expanded the program’s purchasing power to roughly $5.2 billion. The Flood Control director told the court that the program has spent roughly $1.5 billion and encumbered about $1.4 billion, and that rising project costs have created an estimated unfunded need (presented in scenarios) in the low hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on assumptions and project phases.

Commissioner Ellis — the mover of the motion to fully fund Quartile 1 — repeatedly stressed the county’s earlier commitments to equity in the bond order and in the subsequent 2022 prioritization framework, reminding the court the bond language directed the county to “provide a process for the equitable expenditure of funds.” Several residents recounted historic and recent flooding in their neighborhoods, personal losses during Hurricane Harvey, and ongoing gaps in completed construction for projects shown as “shovel ready” on the Flood Control website.

The court approved three related actions: (1) to fully fund current and future needs for projects classified in Quartile 1 under the 2022 prioritization framework and to ask the Flood Control District to return on Sept. 18, 2025 with a project schedule and recommendations; (2) to direct Flood Control to develop a public flood-bond project dashboard that includes project-level trackers, percent-complete, prioritization ranking and other details, updated at least every six months (or sooner as data is available); and (3) to direct Flood Control to assess flood-control projects with potential significant community impact that had not previously been assessed under the 2022 framework and report back by Sept. 18, 2025.

Court discussion emphasized that partnerships and grants remain an important source of funding but must not displace the prioritization framework that centers people most at risk. Flood-control staff told the court that partnership dollars have helped deliver projects but cautioned that some large projects face increased costs, right-of-way and environmental issues that complicate schedules.

Court members and advocates pressed for better procurement transparency after earlier audits showed inconsistent documentation for how engineering and construction contracts had been awarded. The County Auditor committed to provide a follow-up update to the court on the audit recommendations and the departments’ action plans.

The court’s directions do not change any individual project awards in the minutes; instead they set priorities and reporting requirements intended to increase transparency and preserve the equity-focused prioritization voters approved. The Flood Control District will prepare the dashboard and the additional project assessments and return with a fuller implementation plan and schedule at the Sept. 18, 2025 court meeting.","After weeks of public pressure and testimony from flood-impacted residents and advocates, Harris County Commissioners Court voted to fully fund current and future needs for projects in Quartile 1 under the 2022 prioritization framework and ordered a public project dashboard and further review of unassessed projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioner reports Paris trade mission; delegates expect follow-up investor visits to Houston

Court hears jail population drop and backlog data; appoints new judge for Criminal Court at Law No. 12

Harris County court orders Quartile 1 funding, demands dashboard after community protests over flood-bond equity