'Wasted dollars' on county administration role

"County Administrator." It is an unelected post created by the Democratic majority in 2021 to do a job previously performed by members of the Commissioners Court. Since then, Harris County Precinct Three Commissioner Tom Ramsey says the office has cascaded to 73 employees at an average cost of more than a quarter million dollars per position - with the administrator collecting a salary of $418,000 per year. Total annual cost of this previously unnecessary layer of government - nearly $24,700,000 tax dollars per year.

Remembering former president Jimmy Carter

The nation will pay final homage to the 39th President on Tuesday. A Commander in Chief who drew enormous praise for the leadership and the service he consistently delivered long after his White House years.

What's Your Point? Dec. 22, 2024

FOX 26 Houston Political Reporter Greg Groogan and the "What's Your Point?" panel discuss the latest in local, statewide, and national politics.

Predictions for 2025

FOX 26 Houston Political Reporter Greg Groogan talks the latest in local, statewide, and national politics.

Push to legalize online betting in Texas

Texans who enjoy making a wager should keep an eye on the upcoming legislative session, where advocates of state-regulated online betting are once again making a strong push for legalization.

One-on-one with Senator Bettencourt

We are 16 days from the launch of the 89th Texas Legislative session. And when the gavel drops in the state Senate, few, if any lawmakers will have as much pure stroke as Houston Republican Paul Bettencourt, who's now pledging to eliminate the loophole which allows Democrats on Harris County Commissioners Court to pass the most punishing tax hike in recent history.

Potential impact of tax cuts

Will Donald Trump's tax relief dig the deficit hole deeper or ignite a fresh era of prosperity and self-sustaining economic growth?

Mayor Whitmire on dealing with future natural disasters

Live in Houston long enough, and you learn weather related disaster is more irregularity than anomaly. During his first year, Mayor Whitmire dealt with both a destructive windstorm and a full blown hurricane. While he had nothing but praise for first responders, both command and rank and file, Whitmire found himself absolutely furious over a major deficiency.

Mayor Whitmire orders outside audit of tax increment reinvestment zones

Lately, members of council pretty shamelessly referred to tax increment reinvestment zones as a means of circumventing the voter approved property tax cap. So instead of combating blight, the Baker Institute at Rice says terraces have morphed into a mechanism which makes Houston's richest neighborhoods richer at the expense of less affluent areas of the city.

Mayor Whitmire's plans for Metro

I think there's definitive evidence proving that in the past, Metro has been a financial sinkhole for Houston taxpayers. Can John Whitmire do what other mayors didn't?