February 20, 2003

Harris County State of the County Address 

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels presented his State of the County address to the Greater Houston Partnership at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Thursday. 

“The state of our county is stronger than ever,” Eckels said, reporting that Harris County has a budget surplus of over $170 million dollars during a time when almost every governmental entity is facing deficits.

Eckels spoke about the disasters in 2001, Tropical Storm Allison and the events of September 11, and how the county has responded. He said the county is now prepared for terrorist actions, that drills have been conducted at the port for potential disasters there and that the University of Texas Health Science Center has conducted a “dark winter” smallpox attack exercise. Eckels said the county’s three hospitals are now better prepared than ever to handle surges that might come in an emergency, but that hospital services need to be expanded to meet increased demand. Eckels noted that the county was the health care provider of last resort for many people in the region.

Eckels praised the efforts of the Harris County Flood Control District, but also advised citizens to “Get flood insurance today.” Eckels said that many new parks and libraries have recently opened or are in the works.

Transportation was a main topic of Eckels' speech. He said that Houston was forming a partnership with other urban centers to work with the Texas Legislature and the Texas Department of Transportation to get more funding for roads. “It defies reason that Houston, Dallas and Texas’s urban centers have the highest traffic congestion in the sate, but are still, proportionately, near the bottom of the barrel in state highway funding.”

Eckels spoke with Guidry News after his address. He said the reason the county doesn’t have budget problems is that it has taken a long-range approach, and that rising property values have allowed the county to expand services in a fiscally responsible manner. Listen