Harris County Judge slams officials over contested constable pay-raise as term ends

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo took to Instagram to lambast county commissioners and law-enforcement officials over a state-required pay-parity raise for constable deputies. The Texas Comptroller’s Office had instructed the County Attorney that elected constables should receive the same compensation as Houston police and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. After rejecting the raise, the constables settled for an amount lower than Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s salary but higher than that of their chief deputies.

In her remarks, Hidalgo also expressed frustration with the commissioners court’s earlier rejection of her proposed childcare initiative. The criticism comes as Hidalgo prepares to retire, having announced she will not seek re-election. Earlier this year she made headlines for being removed from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo over a ticket dispute.