Photo: Chip Somodevilla
Lina Hidalgo has once again ruffled the feathers of her fellow members of the Harris County Commissioners Court. This comes after she proposed a new penny tax during a press conference without warning any of the county commissioners about her plans.
The proposed increase would see most property owners pay an extra $10.00 in tax for every $100,000 of assessed value. She says she wants this money to go toward funding childcare programs that were originally created using federal grants.
Multiple county commissioners have now come forward to say that they weren't consulted ahead of time, and there are also questions surrounding how well this proposed tax hike has been thought out.
Harris County Precinct Three Commissioner Tom Ramsey called out this surprise proposal, saying, "She wants to raise taxes a penny without having any conversation with any of us on her initiative to take this tax increase to the voters. It's just irresponsible."
Unfortunately, Ramsey says this isn't exactly shocking given Hidalgo's reputation on the court. He said, "It's pretty consistent with her leadership style. She doesn't work well with any members of the court on any particular program."
That includes even her fellow Democrats, who have also publicly expressed frustration with this recent proposal, something Ramsey pointed to as another example of her failed leadership. He said, "The key to county government is getting three votes. And she is absolutely clueless when it comes to trying to get a consensus."
He added that if Hidalgo does intend to seek a third term, something she has yet to publicly make a decision on, she'll need to start showing stronger leadership, and soon.