Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's request for funding to bring staff members on an international trade mission to Paris was rejected by county commissioners. Hidalgo's revised proposal, which aimed at halving the initial cost of approximately $23,000, failed to sway the commissioners. The second vote comes after an earlier proposal was turned down where she sought to cover expenses for four staff members to accompany her, according to reports from Click2Houston and the Houston Chronicle.
The county is currently facing significant budget challenges, with a $270 million deficit reported following a salary alignment for county deputies with the Houston Police Department. It was Barbara Denson, a Harris County Republican Party precinct chair, who expressed stern opposition ahead of the vote, criticizing the expenditure as irresponsible, particularly "with the county facing a $140 million budget deficit, every expense demands careful scrutiny." Despite the revised request being solely for her security detail, and Hidalgo highlighting that a similar request was approved in 2024 for the Harris County Toll Road Authority director's international travel, the pitch still fell short, as stated by the Houston Chronicle.
Hidalgo emphasized the double standards at play, noting, "My caveat is that this court approved last year in May, international travel for the HCTRA director at a cost of $13,000 for one employee," Hidalgo said, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. "This request costs $1,350 less than HCTRA's, and would cover ... a security detail in a place that this body has already leaked to my conspiracy theorists."
The international mission, planned during VivaTech 2025 in Paris, was intended to bolster relations with business leaders and deepen ties for economic collaboration, a purpose underscored by Nancy Sims, a University of Houston political science lecturer. Sims explained to the Houston Chronicle the commonality of such trade missions for officials in Hidalgo's position. Moreover, Hidalgo's pledge to use campaign funds in lieu of taxpayer money remains in limbo, as her campaign finance reports indicate a low balance compared to other commissioners, there's uncertainty whether she will still participate in the trade mission without county funding.
During the meeting where the proposal was put to vote, security concerns were repeatedly raised by Hidalgo. "If you don't approve this, I can't even bring security detail even though the leaks about where I’m going already got people to say they’re going to come," she told commissioners, according to Click2Houston. The concerns, however, did not sway the commissioners enough to approve her request. As the matter stands, Hidalgo's plans to attend the international gathering remain uncertain without financial backing from Harris County.
