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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels delivered his eleventh State of the County speech today before a sold out audience at the Greater Houston Partnership and League of Women Voters annual State of the County Luncheon. Eckels applauded his fellow members of the commissioners court and employees of Harris County, while he emphasized the theme of "working for you." "Today, when I say, 'working together works' - and that 'together we can do far more than we could alone' - it is hopefully clear that these are proven statements of fact, and not just the latest political slogan," Eckels said. Eckels talked about the coordination and collaboration among various entities in regards to transportation, clean air, health care, and homeland security. "As chairman of the Transportation Policy Council of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, I can report that the policy council unanimously adopted the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan for our eight county region," Eckels said. "Representatives from the Harris County Toll Road Authority, Metro, the Texas Department of Transportation, and other county and municipal agencies throughout the region worked together to develop a regional transit system that will incorporate highways, toll roads, light rail, and commuter rail. Having a coordinated transit system will improve the quality of life for all residents in the region." Eckels said that Harris County has been the most active county in the state in environmental matters for several decades. "Our Pollution Control Department continues to be a leader in working with agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the City of Houston, private industry, and other stakeholders in improving air quality," Eckels said. "It is important to note that the county is also doing a better job at enforcing existing laws. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has prosecuted more criminal environmental cases than the State of Texas and all other counties in Texas combined. Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford leads Texas counties in civil enforcement actions." Eckels stressed the importance of addressing the needs of more than 800,000 residents of the county who are either uninsured or under insured. "Harris County learned long ago that the needs of this community cannot be met alone," Eckels said. "Therefore, the county has forged strong partnerships over the last decade with other non-profit, private, public, faith-based health care providers and clinics to coordinate services to meet the growing needs of the community." Eckels noted that Harris County has joined the Greater Houston Partnership in its Public Health Care Task Force, and embraced its recommendations for greater collaboration, coordination, and integration of the total health-care delivery system. "The Harris County Commissioners Court created the 21 member Public Health Care System Advisory Council to advise the commissioners and the community towards accomplishing the goals of the task force," Eckels said. He said that Harris County is better prepared than any major urban area in the country for a natural or man-made disaster. "The reason goes back to what we discussed at the outset: No other city in America can match the cooperation we see here at all levels of government - and between the public and private sectors," Eckels said. "Our progress on this critical front is rooted in 'Three Cs': cooperation with our neighbors, coordination among responders, and seamless communication between all." Hyperlinks will work if this document is read Online
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