Record Tax Rate, Five Straight Deficits: What Harris County's Commissioner Candidates Say

Harris County voters who live in two of its four commissioner precincts will decide on Nov. 3 who helps run a county government that just set its highest tax rate in recent memory. Two Democratic incumbents, Adrian Garcia in Precinct 2 and Lesley Briones in Precinct 4, face two Republican challengers, pastor Richard Vega and former Commissioner Steve Radack.

The Houston Chronicle profiled all four this week. Here is what matters, and what each candidate says.

The stakes

Commissioners Court is the county's governing body: four commissioners and the county judge. Commissioners run roads, parks and community programs in their precincts and vote on countywide budgets and policy. Each precinct holds about 1.2 million people, and only residents of a precinct vote in its race, according to the Chronicle.

The backdrop is money. Last month the court set a total county rate of 67 cents per $100 of taxable value, which the Chronicle called "the highest total county tax rate in recent history," passed in part to close a roughly $180 million deficit, the county's fifth straight budget shortfall. Garcia voted for that increase. The Chronicle says he blamed cuts in state and federal funding for pushing costs such as the public hospital system onto local taxpayers.

The court has also committed to major law enforcement raises. Garcia, Briones and Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey approved raises that total roughly 50% over five years and are expected to add $292 million in annual costs by 2030, the Chronicle reported.

A University of Houston Hobby School poll released this week found both incumbents ahead. Garcia led Vega 52% to 40%, with 8% undecided, and Briones led Radack 49% to 41%, with 11% undecided. Hobby School researcher Mark P. Jones told ABC13 that the challengers are working with very limited budgets, and that the incumbents' votes for the unpopular tax increase did them no favors.

Early voting begins Oct. 19. Voters can look up their precinct and sample ballot at HarrisVotes.com.

Precinct 2: Garcia vs. Vega

Precinct 2 covers southeast Harris County and part of north Houston. Garcia, a former Houston police officer, city council member and Harris County sheriff, was first elected commissioner in 2018 and is seeking a third term.

"Over the last eight years, we have delivered more than $1 billion in infrastructure, mobility, flood control and community improvements," Garcia said in a statement to the Chronicle. He said much of his focus is fighting policies of President Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott, which he said "are literally taking food off the tables of vulnerable families in Harris County," and he wants to do more on illegal dumping, parks and city infrastructure.

Vega is a pastor, an Army veteran and a chaplain for local law enforcement agencies, according to his campaign. He lost the 2022 Republican primary for the seat. In 2023 he was one of two plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming Garcia had effectively resigned by accepting an appointment to the Gulf Coast Protection District. The suit was dismissed.

"My campaign is about defending the Texas Constitution, restoring trust in county government, and ensuring Precinct 2 has ethical, transparent leadership dedicated to public safety and protecting taxpayer interests," Vega said. He calls himself a conservative but says his focus is "practical outcomes," pointing to "neglected roads, poor drainage, and flood risks" and law enforcement response times.

Precinct 4: Briones vs. Radack

Precinct 4 serves west Harris County and southwest Houston. Briones was appointed a civil court judge in 2019 and won the seat in 2022 after the Democratic majority redrew precinct lines, defeating Republican Jack Cagle.

She points to direct relief for 20,000 families without power after Hurricane Beryl, "health hubs" at precinct community centers and an expanded program that sends some 911 mental health calls to mental health professionals instead of officers. "I will work with anyone who can help me improve the quality of life for people in Harris County," she said.

Radack served 32 years as Precinct 3 commissioner before retiring in 2020, and lost a 2024 race for tax assessor-collector. Many neighborhoods he once represented were moved into Precinct 4 in the 2021 redistricting. He is running on spending.

"The rise in Harris County's property tax rate and out-of-control spending must be addressed," Radack said. "The county has wasted millions of dollars over the past six years with new administrative departments that have failed to create promised efficiency."

What voters should ask

Every candidate in these races says he or she wants transparency, safety and good roads. Those words are cheap. The record is not.

Voters in both precincts can ask the same questions. Five straight deficits: what would you cut, by name? A record-high rate: will you vote to lower it, and when? A $292 million annual raise commitment: how will it be paid for without another increase? For Garcia and Briones, what in their records can residents actually see from their front porch? For Vega and Radack, which specific programs or departments would they end, and what would residents lose?

A county of four precincts with about 1.2 million people each does not need slogans. It needs commissioners who will treat the taxpayer's dollar as a trust. Voters will decide in three weeks which candidates have earned that.

For more on what the county's rate means for your bill, read Dock Line's breakdown. Dock Line has also reported on the county's lawsuit to close the Hawthorn Park landfill.

Hero photo: Patrick Feller / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.