General Land Office
Dawn Buckingham with the General Land Office at Houston City Council
Texas General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said Monday there’s ‘likely zero chance’ Harris County will meet crucial funding deadlines to complete post-Hurricane Harvey flood bond projects, and urged County Judge Lina Hidalgo to set aside differences to eliminate delays.
Buckingham accused Hidalgo of creating setbacks through disagreements with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) leadership on project delays. She said the Harris County Commissioners Court created arbitrary procedures by compelling the flood control district to address the court for minor changes.
“My advice is simple: get out of the way, work with the commissioners court and HCFCD to eliminate unnecessary delays, expedite processes, and deliver results for the citizens of Harris County,” Buckingham wrote. “You owe it to your constituents to put personalities aside and deliver.”
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The flood projects were first authorized by Harris County voters in 2018 as part of a $2.5 billion bond after Hurricane Harvey. The bond was passed with significant funding gaps, and the county secured another $2.7 billion in partnerships from local, state and federal funding sources to complete the projects.
Hidalgo, who did not immediately return a request for comment Monday, has been caught in public feuds with flood control director Tina Petersen over the status of 28 projects outlined in the flood bond. In April, Hidalgo said she had lost confidence in Petersen’s ability to break ground on several disaster relief projects before a looming Feb. 2027 deadline — jeopardizing more than $245 million.
The Feb. 2027 deadline is one of several benchmarks set by The Texas General Land Office for Harris County to advance the projects before a final 2028 deadline to use funds granted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A recent report revealed most of the flood mitigation projects tied to the 2018 bond — six of 11 — likely won’t be complete by the 2027 deadline. Flood control leaders in May said they intend to request a deadline extension from the Texas GLO, but Buckingham said the office has already made every attempt to revise benchmarks and spent $5 million to provide support staff to advance the projects.
“The GLO is responsible for following the rules and regulations mandated by HUD and from the beginning, we have maintained that that the February 28, 2027 deadline is firm,” according to Buckingham’s letter. “As you know, you must use the funds or lose them.”
The letter to Hidalgo comes as Harris County commissioners are set to discuss flood control director Tina Petersen’s performance on Thursday. Petersen’s job was previously brought into question during an hour-long closed-door meeting at commissioners court in May, when they declined to take action on her employment at the time.
The flood control district did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.