Publications

COVID-19 Impact on the Hispanic/Latino Community

11/01/2023

This memo examines the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on health outcomes for the Hispanic/Latino community on the national, state, and county-level, where possible. In addition, various social determinants of health were reviewed for the Hispanic/Latino community and how they may have contributed to disproportionate negative health outcomes due to COVID-19. This memo also includes a review of language access programs and policies used by Harris County-related health and emergency management agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic and concludes with policy recommendations that may help mitigate disproportionate health impacts on the Hispanic/Latino community during a future health emergency.

Assessment of the Office of Justice and Safety and the Analyst’s Office

10/19/2023

To support the development of the Office of County Administration’s transition plan presented to Commissioners Court on August 8, 2023, the OCA requested the Commissioners Court’s Analyst’s Office (“The Analyst’s Office”) assist with the F2 Initiative pertaining to the function of the Research and Analysis Division. The F2 Initiative is set to be presented in two phases. This memo presents an assessment of the Office of Justice and Safety and the Analyst’s Office for phase one, and includes“clarifying the purpose, structure, roles, and responsibilities of departments reporting to the County Administrator that share policy, data, and research functions.”

Harris County Snapshot

10/18/2023

Harris County Snapshot is the first annual report for the Analyst’s Office and includes five sets of data indicators: Economic Indicators, Housing Indicators, Transportation Indicators, Health Indicators, and Environment Indicators. One indicator to note from the report includes the decrease in individuals experiencing homelessness by 50.9% within the continuum of care program for Harris County and the surrounding areas from 2010 to 2022. An indicator that highlights an area for improvement for Harris County is the poverty rate. At 16.4%, Harris County had the highest poverty rate in 2021 among all the counties analyzed in the report. The HarrisCounty Snapshot will be released annually at the end of each summer.

Review of Supplier Diversity Programs

09/14/2023

This memo provides a summary of various supplier diversity programs at the federal, state, and local levels, which aim to provide contacting opportunities for either small businesses and/or businesses owned by socially or economically disadvantaged groups. The supplier diversity programs included are Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) programs. The memo concludes with issues Harris County would need to address if it were to attempt to replicate New York City’s Making the Grade: New York City Agency Report Card on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises report in order to evaluate and grade county departments and/or partner agencies on their M/WBE performance.

County Hotel Occupancy Taxes

09/14/2023

This memo explains how hotel occupancy taxes (HOT) may be collected by Harris County and how these funds can be spent in alignment with Texas statute. The Analyst's Office also collected feedback from four other Texas counties for their use of HOT funds and consulted with the Harris County Attorney's Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Auditor's Office to provide better context for the use of HOT funds. From Fiscal Year2018 to Short Fiscal Year 2022, Harris County collected $207.2 million in HOTfunds and had $20.7 million remaining. The Analyst’s Office provides four recommendations for the County's improved use of these funds.

Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence

08/18/2023

This memo provides background on generative AI technology and a summary of the US Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Artificial Intelligence Accountability Framework for Federal Agencies and Other Entities. The memo also provides an assessment of AI policies or guidance in eight jurisdictions around the country and concludes with considerations for Harris County’s internal AI guidance, based on the GAO’s accountability framework and AI policies or guidance in other jurisdictions.

Research and Analysis Department Structures

08/01/2023

The Analyst’s Office reviewed staff structures in comparable research and policy analysis departments in five other jurisdictions. Research and analysis departments are typically structures in one of three ways: 1) Division by discipline; 2) Division by seniority; or, 3) Division by seniority with select discipline divisions (hybrid). Based on feedback from other jurisdictions, the current operations of the Harris County Analyst’s Office, and the research needs of Harris County, the Analyst’s Office recommends that the new combined Analyst’s Office within the OCA follow the “division by seniority” structure, in which staff are identified as senior and non-senior staff (as opposed to by discipline or subject matter expertise), and where most staff members are generalists. 

County Administrator Evaluation

07/14/2023

This memo provides background on the county administrator role; includes best practices and recommendations for evaluations from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)  Manager Evaluations Handbook; and provides a summary of the components of evaluations of county administrators, chief executive officers, or comparable executives (including city managers) from other jurisdictions in Texas and around the country. Based on ICMA’s best practices and the components of county administrator evaluations reviewed in other jurisdictions, the Analyst’s Office provides a few policy considerations for the establishment of a county administrator performance evaluation process in Harris County.

Addendum to Expanding and Promoting Family Planning Services Memo: Service and Expenditure Data for Harris County Health Entities

05/19/2023

This addendum to the Analyst's Office's memo, Expanding and Promoting Family Planning Services, presents additional family planning service data for three Harris County health entities: Harris Health System, Harris County Public Health, and Baylor Teen Health Clinic. The health entities provided client and encounter data for 2021 based on core family planning service categories. Harris County health entities had a total of 592,384 family planning service encounters in 2021. Related preventive health services had the greatest number of total encounters with 401,535 (67.8%), followed by sexually transmitted disease services with 63,939 (10.8%). 

Boards and Commissions

04/06/2023

This memo provides background information on the overall purpose of boards and commissions and the management of their appointments. The Analyst’s Office analyzed the 68 boards and commissions for which Harris County has appointment authority, conducted a good governance assessment for those whose entire voting membership is appointed by Harris County, and completed a comparative analysis of the management of boards and commissions for populous counties in Texas. The analysis found that Harris County is the only county to have a dedicated staff responsible for the management of boards and commissions, and of the 68 boardsand commissions, only 27 (39.7%) are ones on which Harris County appoints the entirety of the voting members. To improve the management of boards and commissions in Harris County, the memo concludes with several policy considerations.

Harris County Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Practices

04/04/2023

This memo provides a literature review on the definitions and concepts of race and ethnicity and provides background on federal and state guidelines and best practices for race and ethnicity data collection. The Analyst’s Office also used a survey to solicit feedback from 74 County departments on their practices regarding collection of race and ethnicity data. Fourteen of 28 respondents (50.0%) meet or exceed the US Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) minimum race and ethnicity reporting standards, and 14 respondents (50.0%) do not. Based on best practices, Harris County respondents’ current data collection practices and reporting requirements, and the practices of other large counties, the Analyst’s Office provides policy considerations related to race and ethnicity data in Harris County. 

Youth Firearm Violence

04/04/2023

This memo examines youth firearm-related deaths and offenses data in Harris County using and finds that: 1) Firearm-related deaths increased nationally and in Harris County for almost all youth across all age cohorts and sexes in recent years; 2) Firearm-related offenses among youth in Harris County increased an overall 37.3% (from 794 offenses in 2016 to 1,090 offenses in 2021); and 3) Non-firearm-related offenses decreased an overall 52.2% (from 8,675 in 2016 to 4,150 in 2021). This memo also provides brief reviews of literature on risk factors (family, social, and community) associated with youths and potential intervention programs (family-based treatment, deterrence, public health) to address youth firearm violence. To address youth firearm violence in Harris County, the Analyst’s Office provides a few policy considerations. 

Quarterly Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, March 2023

03/14/2023

This quarterly memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to February 2023, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of February 26, 2023, 26.2%(1,241,668) of individuals in Harris County had received at least one booster shot, a 3.1% increase (from 1,203,830 to 1,241,668) from November 27, 2022.

Harris County at a Glance: Housing and Transportation Indicators

02/28/2023

Harris County at a Glance: Housing and Transportation Indicators is the second of three related reports and summarizes key housing and transportation indicators for Harris County. Where possible, all indicators are disaggregated by gender, and race and ethnicity, and reported as far back as 2010. Indicators are reported with comparison to the three next largest counties in Texas (Dallas, Tarrant, and Bexar) and three largest counties outside of Texas (Los Angeles, Cook, and Maricopa). From 2019 to 2020, the number of commuters in Harris County who cycled increases by 29.8%, from 4,854 commuters in 2019 to 6,301 commuters in 2020. Harris County is the only county with an increase in commuters who walked to work from 2020 to 2021, at an increase of 3.2%, from 31,314 in 2020 to 32,320 in 2021. The forthcoming related report is the Health and Environment Indicators (Spring 2023).

Expanding and Promoting Family Planning Services

01/31/2023

This memo provides a review of family planning services in Harris County and identifies opportunities to promote and expand access to these services for Harris County residents and their families. The Analyst’s Office utilized the CDC’s best practice recommendations in defining the core services provided by quality family planning programs. The memo identifies three policy considerations which may aid in meaningfully promoting and expanding access to family planning programs and services in Harris County. Policy considerations include: Monitor and evaluate changing demands for existing services, and consider increases in funding where changes in demand demonstrate need; Expand access to family planning services using mobile health services; and Inform residents about enhanced health insurance affordability.

Quarterly Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, December 2022

12/13/2022

This quarterly memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to December 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of November 27, 2022, 25.4% (1,203,830) of individuals in Harris County had received at least one booster shot, a 6.4% increase (from 1,131,887 to 1,203,830) from August 28, 2022.

Monkeypox Vaccine Distribution and Cases, October 2022

10/25/2022

This is the final monthly memo on the status of monkeypox cases and the effort to distribute the monkeypox vaccine in Harris County. The memo includes analyses by an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, and precinct. The number of individuals fully vaccinated in Harris County increased 101% from September 2022 to October 2022, from 2,675 fully vaccinated individuals in September to 5,370 fully vaccinated individuals in October.

Harris County at a Glance: Economic Indicators

10/04/2022

Harris County at a Glance: Economic Indicators is the first of three related reports and summarizes key economic indicators for Harris County. Where possible, all economic indicators are disaggregated by gender, and race and ethnicity, and reported as far back as 2010. Indicators are reported with comparison to the three next largest counties in Texas (Dallas, Tarrant, and Bexar) and three largest counties outside of Texas (Los Angeles, Cook, and Maricopa). For each year reviewed from 2010 to 2019, more than half of the workforce in Harris County works in either management, business, science, and arts occupations, or sales and office occupations. The forthcoming related reports are: Housing and Transportation Indicators (late 2022), Health and Environment Indicators (Spring 2023), and Justice and Safety Indicators (Summer 2023)

Monkeypox Vaccine Distribution and Cases, September 2022

09/27/2022

This memo provides an overview of the status of monkeypox cases and the effort to distribute the monkeypox vaccine in Harris County. The memo includes analyses by an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, and precinct. As of September 2, 2022, 6,135 individuals in Harris County received at least one dose of the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine. Of that total, 84.6% (5,188 individuals) received their first dose, and 15.4% (947 individuals) received their second dose (completing the vaccine series).

Quarterly Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, September 2022

09/13/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to August 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. In response to the slowing changes in vaccine distribution, this memo is released quarterly instead of monthly, with the next release scheduled for December 2022. As of August 28, 2022, 63.1% (2,984,328) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated, meaning an individual has received both doses of either the Modernaor Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This reflects a 1.3% (from 2,945,239 to 2,984,328) increase from June 2022.

Emergency Service Districts (ESDs) in Harris County

09/01/2022

Emergency services districts (ESDs) are special purpose districts that provide critical emergency services to communities in unincorporated areas. Harris County covers1,777 square miles and has a population of 4.7 million residents, with approximately 1.97 million residents living in its unincorporated areas. There are currently 33 ESDs in unincorporated Harris County. Seven districts provide emergency medical services (EMS) services only; 16 districts provide fire only; and ten districts provide both EMS and fire services. This memo summarizes relevant statutes governing ESDs, describes existing ESDs in Harris County, and offers policy options for any changes in service to a resident of Harris County.

Harris County Attrition and Retention Rates

08/02/2022

This memo reports the attrition rate, retention rate, and attrition by employee tenure from FY2014 through FY2022 for select Harris County departments/entities, as well as summarizes key transfers of positions between departments as a part of restructuring within Harris County. For the ten Harris County departments/entities reviewed, 79 employees with 10 – 19 years with Harris County left their positions in FY2022, a decrease from the 94 employees with 10 – 19 years with Harris County who left their positions in FY2021 and the 93 employees who left their positions in FY2020.

Analysis of Aligned Services Provided by HCPH and HHD

07/29/2022

This memo summarizes administrative and technical healthcare services provided by HCPH and HHD and identifies areas of alignment, or areas with shared goals and outcomes, using a framework provided by the US Government Accountability Office. Based on services provided by HCPH and HHD, thirteen areas of alignment are identified: (1) Provide lead-safe housing, (2) Reduce and prevent lead poisoning of children, (3) Improve immunization coverage, (4) Reduce the spread of HIV & STDs, (5) Reduce food waste and food insecurity, (6) Safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children, (7) Improve dental health, (8) Ensure food safety and compliance, (9) Provide epidemiology services, (10) Permit and inspect public pools, (11) Prevent, treat, and control the spread of Tuberculosis, (12) Reduce and prevent substance use, and (13) Provide clinical and preventative health care. The analysis highlights several notable findings, including: For five aligned goals, HCPH and HHD provide services to the same jurisdiction (residents of Harris County and the City of Houston); for ten aligned goals, HCPH and HHD report outcome data for the same service to the same granting agency; and for three aligned goals, HCPH and HHD have an online presence for similar services serving the same jurisdiction.

Top Arresting Agencies for Violent Incidents, FY2018 through FY2022

07/07/2022

This memo reports the total arrests for violent crimes made by the five arresting agencies in Harris County with the most arrests for the period of FY2018 through FY2022. In FY2022, the City of Houston Police Department reports over 70 percent more violent crime case filings than the next agency with the highest number of case filings that year, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (9,376 violent crime case filings and 5,439 violent crime case filings, respectively).

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, June 2022

06/28/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to June 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of June 12, 2022, 62.3% (2,945,239) of all individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated, meaning an individual has received both doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This reflects a 0.5% (from 2,929,252 to 2,945,239) increase from May 10, 2022.

Case Filings for Violent Crimes by Select Law Enforcement Offices, FY2009 through FY2022 (Revised)

06/14/2022

This memo summarizes violent crime case filings by Harris County law enforcement agency (Harris County Sheriff’s Office and all Harris County constables) and by offense type, from March 2008 through February 2022. For the period reviewed, felony violent crime case filings from HCSO represent 59.3% of all violent crime case filings for the HCSO from FY2009 through FY2022 in Harris County, and felony violent crime case filings from all constable offices represents 49.3% of all violent crime case filings for the constables.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, May 2022

05/24/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to May 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of May 10, 2022: 67.8% (802,050) of Precinct One residents were vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose; 59.0% (697,750) of Precinct Two residents were vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose; 81.3% (956,466) of Precinct Three residents were vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose; and, 73.1% (868,330) of Precinct Four residents were vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose.

Updated Cost Estimate of County Services for an Individual Experiencing Homelessness

05/16/2022

In August 2020, the Harris County Commissioners Court’s Analyst’s Office published a memo, Cost Estimate of Harris County Services for an Individual Experiencing Homelessness, in response to a request from the Harris County Judge’s Office to “conduct the necessary research and analysis to calculate and report the average cost estimate of Harris County services provided to an individual experiencing homelessness.” Following two years of program and policy changes in HarrisCounty, this memo serves to update that August 2020 estimate and offer a multiyear comparison. In FY2021, the maximum utilization cost to Harris County for an individual 18 years and over experiencing homelessness is $126,132, a 26.6% increase from FY2020 ($99,611). The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the addition of new services, and new available funding explain, in part, the increase in the maximum utilization cost of services.

Federal Pandemic-Related Funding to Independent School Districts

05/09/2022

There are 25 independent school districts in the Harris County area. Funds received by independent school districts in Harris County from the three federal pandemic relief acts (CARES, CRRSSA, and ARP) total $3,408,035,141. Of the funds received, Harris County independent school districts spent 15% or $501,371,520. This memo summarizes the funding by school district and aid type.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, April 2022

04/26/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to April 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of April 10, 2022, 61.6% (2,916,179) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated, 9.9% (469,007) were partially vaccinated, and 21.0% (993,808) had received booster shots.

Impacts of the Issuance and Use of Fraudulent Temporary Tags

04/26/2022

This memo includes assessments of the impacts of fraudulent temporary tags to both Harris County revenue and crime within Harris County, as well as a review of measures other jurisdictions are taking to address the use of fraudulent temporary tags in their communities. From FY2016 to FY2021, the issuance and use of fraudulent temporary tags may account for more than $80 million in cumulative potential lost revenue to Harris County.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations Addendum

03/23/2022

In July 2021, the Analyst’s Office published a memo, MPO Representation, which compared MPOs in Texas with regard to their: representation, decision-making process, and intergovernmental relationships. This memo is an addendum to that 2021 memo and outlines the federal Transportation Management Area certification process for Metropolitan Planning Organizations.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, March 2022

03/22/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to March 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of March 6, 2022, 61.1% (2,888,865) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated, 9.9% (468,030) were partially vaccinated, and 20.0% (944,041) had received booster shots. 

Jury Management Operations

03/04/2022

This memo assesses the implementation of three strategies for improving jury management in Harris County: implementation of an electronic jury management system; use of postcard summons instead of paper summons; and, establishment of an outreach program highlighting jury service.

Federal Pandemic-Related Funding to Community Colleges

03/01/2022

The four public community colleges in Harris County, Houston Community College, Lee College, Lone Star College, and San Jacinto Community College, received a cumulative $547,322,987 in aid through three federal pandemic-related funding acts over the last two years for student aid, technology needs, etc. This memo summarizes the funding by college and aid type. 

Adopted Budget with Rollover and Expenditures for Select Harris County Departments, FY2008 – 2009 through FY2021 – 2022

02/25/2022

This memo details the budget allocations, budget spent, and rollover monies for all Harris County Constables, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and Harris County Pretrial Services from FY 2009 through FY 2022.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, February 2022

02/22/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to February 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. Between January 1, 2020, and February 8, 2022 there were 845,920 positive COVID-19 cases confirmed by a PCR test in Harris County and 7,033 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths. 

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, January 2022

01/25/2022

This memo provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination distribution effort in Harris County between January 2021 to January 2022, including analyses by precinct, age, race, and ethnicity. As of January 11, 2022, 58.9% of individuals in Harris County are fully vaccinated, 10.0% are partially vaccinated, and 31.3% are unvaccinated.

Mitigating the Impacts of SB8

12/13/2021

In September 2021, legislation banning abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat (SB8) went into effect in Texas. This memo provides background on the legal status of abortions in Texas, an overview of the impact of SB8 in Harris County, and an overview of opportunities to support individuals impacted by the law or otherwise mitigate the law’s negative effects.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, December 2021

12/10/2021

This memo is the eleventh of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Harris County. As of November 30, 2021, 54.4% (2,575,464) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated – a 3.1% increase from October 26, 2021. 

Storm Surge Abatement

12/06/2021

This memo includes a discussion of the changing threats of both tropical cyclones and the resulting storm surge to the Gulf Coast region, along with a summary of the current understanding of key projects to mitigate the threat of storm surge to the Gulf Coast region, specifically, the Coastal Texas Study and the Galveston Bay Park Plan. These projects have been determined not to be in competition and may coexist to address storm surge if stakeholders decide to pursue both. 

Texas Prompt Payment Act Analysis

11/22/2021

The Analyst’s Office worked with the Harris County Auditor’s Office and Harris County Attorney's Office to assess Harris County compliance with the Prompt Payment Act and assess payments processing times to vendors over the last five years. Of the 1,224,688 vendor invoices paid in the period reviewed, Harris County issued payment to vendors on-time for 90.6% of all invoices (1,109,879). Harris County issued delayed payment to vendors for 9.4% of all invoices (114,809).

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, November 2021

11/09/2021

This memo is the eleventh of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Harris County. As of October 24, 2021, 54.4% (2,575,464) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated – a 4.2% increase from September 26, 2021.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, October 2021

10/11/2021

This memo is the tenth of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Harris County. As of September 26, 2021, 52.2% (2,471,866) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated – an 8.8% increase from August 30. The demographic with the highest percentage of individuals vaccinated are individuals who identify as Hispanic aged 65-74 (74%). The demographic with the lowest percentage of individuals vaccinated are individuals who identify as Black aged 12-29 (24%)

Update: County Social Services-Public Safety-County Services Spending Comparison FY2010—FY2018

09/29/2021

This updated analysis expands upon a prior Analyst’s Office memo by comparing data from five jurisdictions outside of Texas—Cook County, IL; the City and County of Denver, CO; King County, WA; Maricopa County, AZ; and Miami-Dade County, FL; and four counties within Texas: Tarrant, Travis, Bexar, and Dallas counties—with data from Harris County. For six of the ten counties reviewed, annual spending related to Public Safety was higher than spending on County Services or Social Services. For the nine-year period analyzed, Harris County spent more on Public Safety (44%) than in any other category—three times the amount spent on Social Services (13%).

Update: COVID-19 Vaccination, September 2021

09/14/2021

This memo is the ninth of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Harris County. As of August 30, 2021, 48.2% (2,270,241) of individuals in Harris County were fully vaccinated - a 6.6% increase from August 8.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, August 2021

08/24/2021

This memo is the eighth of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of August 8, 2021, 45.2% (2,129,163) of individuals in Harris County residents were fully vaccinated - a 7.7% increase from July. 

Health Coordination Follow-Up

08/04/2021

The Analyst's Office previously identified four public health coordination systems as potential models for improving coordination among Harris County Public Health (HCPH), Harris Health System (HHS), and the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (Harris Center). This memo outlines lessons learned and strengths and weaknesses of the four coordination systems, and provides an overview of each Harris County health-related agencies' support for implementing each system in Harris County.

Update: Annual Deaths in Harris County

07/28/2021

This memo provides an update to the December 2020 annual deaths report by extending the date of analysis from October 2020 to December 2020. This memo reports total annual deaths in Harris County, including the City of Houston, from January 2010 through December 2020 by age, and race and ethnicity. Note: This memo does not include reference to cause of death, and the memo does not include any conclusions from the data.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations

07/28/2021

MetropolitanPlanning Organizations (MPOs) are agencies created by federal law to provide local elected officials input into the planning and implementation of federal transportation funds. This memo compares five MPOs in Texas with regard to their: representation, decision-making process, and intergovernmental relationships and examines methods for increasing Harris County’s leverage within their local MPO, H-GAC.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, July 2021

07/20/2021

This memo is the seventh of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of July 5, 2021, 41.9% (1,975,622) of individuals in Harris County residents were fully vaccinated.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, June 2021

06/29/2021

This memo is the sixth of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of June 13, 2021, 8.6% (403,417) of eligible individuals in Harris County residents were partially vaccinated; and 38.0% (1,790,902) were fully vaccinated.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, May 2021

06/08/2021

This memo is the fifth of a monthly series that provides anoverview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of May 23,2021, 12.8% (445,959) of eligible individuals in Harris County residents werepartially vaccinated; and 33.7% (1,588,752) were fully vaccinated.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, April 2021

05/11/2021

This memo is the fourth of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of April 26, 2021, 17% (603,758) of eligible individuals in Harris County residents were partially vaccinated; and  31% (1,109,143) were fully vaccinated.

Juror Pay

05/11/2021

This memo identifies strategies that helped increase juror appearance rates, reviews the impact of pay increases in other jurisdictions, and examines whether an increase in pay in other jurisdictions resulted in greater turnout and/or greater diversity of juror participation.

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, March 2021

04/07/2021

This memo is the third of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. As of March 29, 2021, 1,020,644 Harris County residents were vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose (29% of Harris County’s eligible population) and 546,051 were fully vaccinated (15% of Harris County’s eligible population).

Catalog of Harris County Sustainability Practices

04/01/2021

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines sustainability as the creation of long-term sustainable conditions, under which humans and nature can exist. This memo provides a comprehensive catalogue of existing sustainability policies and practices maintained by Harris County departments and provides a starting point for the development of short and long-term sustainability goals and actionable policies.

County Health Coordination Memo

03/19/2021

There are three county health-related agencies in Harris County: Harris County Public Health, Harris Health System,and the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. Over the course of the last four decades, there have been multiple efforts to improve coordination across these agencies, many of these efforts continue today. This memo provides an analysis of the collaborative arrangements practiced in health-related agencies in six jurisdictions (Bexar County, Dallas County, Galveston County, Travis County, Los Angeles County, and Miami-Dade County), highlights methods to improve cooperation, and provides a legal analysis of the potential consolidation of Harris County’s health-related agencies. 

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, February 2021

03/09/2021

This memo is the second of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. This memo expands on the previous publication (the January COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution memo) by including data relating to COVID-19 testing, cases, and deaths in Harris County, and Commissioner Precinct-level analysis where available.

Assessment of Climate Action Plans

02/12/2021

Climate Action Plans (CAPs) are strategic documents that outline a collection of measures and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and are often based on local priorities for reducing emissions. This memo outlines best practices for developing Climate Action Plans; features four jurisdictions that illustrate key components of the best practices; and proposes next steps for the development of a countywide Climate Action Plan in Harris County.

Analysis of Withdrawing from the Houston-Galveston Area Council

02/12/2021

Councils of Government (COGs) are coordinating bodies that seek to address the need for comprehensive, coordinated program planning at the regional level. This memo assesses the potential benefits and disadvantages of Harris County withdrawing from its regional COG, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). This analysis includes a summary of the composition of the governing body and representation, voting practices of the governing body, the general assembly and committees, and the annual membership fee of H-GAC and four other councils of government (COGs) in Texas.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, January 2021

02/09/2021

This memo is the first of a monthly series that provides an overview of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Harris County. This memo includes data for vaccine doses distributed by all providers in Harris County with doses administered presented by recipient age, gender, race and ethnicity, and zip code, from the start of local distribution on December 14, 2020 through January 31, 2021.

Homicide-Related Deaths by Location, 2015-2020

01/15/2021

This memo includes data on homicide-related deaths in Harris County by location for five years, from 2015 through 2020. This memo was produced in collaboration with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences and the County Justice Administration Department and is a follow-up to the previously published memo on homicide charges and homicide-related deaths.

Percent for Art Comparative Analysis

01/08/2021

Jurisdictions participate in capital budgeting to fund long-term fixed assets, like buildings, equipment, and land. Percent for Art policies allow jurisdictions to set aside a specific percent of capital funds for public artwork with the intention of making public spaces more appealing, useful, or accessible. This memo provides both an overview of best practices for Percent for Art policies and an overview of several cities and counties across the United States with existing Percent for Art policies. 

Annual Rates for Homicide Charges and Homicide-Related Deaths

12/14/2020

This memo includes the rate of homicide deaths in Harris County, produced in collaboration with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, as well as reported rates of homicide charges in Harris County, produced in collaboration with the Harris County Justice Administration Department, for the five-year period between 2015 and 2020.

County Social Services-Public Safety-County Services Spending Comparison

12/14/2020

This analysis compares public spending in the areas of social services, public safety, and county services from FY2010 to FY2018 across five Texas jurisdictions: Bexar County, Dallas County, Harris County, Tarrant County, and Travis County. For most counties, Public Safety was the greatest category of spending. For the eight-year period analyzed, Harris County spent more on Public Safety (44%) than any other category—three times the amount spent on Social Services (13%). An analysis featuring jurisdictions outside of Texas is forthcoming.

Total Annual Deaths in Harris County and the City of Houston

12/11/2020

This analysis reports total annual deaths in the City of Houston and Harris County from January 2015 through October 2020 by age, race, and ethnicity.  The City of Houston and Harris County reported a greater number (29%) of overall deaths between April 2020 – July 2020 (11,731) than the same months in 2019 (9,088). Note: This memo does not include reference to cause of death, and the memo does not include any conclusions from the data. Age, race, and ethnicity data are only available for the City of Houston due to data limitations.

Assessment of Racial and Gender Equity Impact Assessments

08/21/2020

Equity impact assessments are tools policymakers use to identify risk areas where implicit biases may affect behaviors and judgments towards individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, or ability, and to create policies that are mindful of those risks. This memo includes four case studies of government jurisdictions across the United States which have utilized equity impact assessments, provides a summary of common practices for creating such assessments, and outlines four policy options the Commissioners Court may consider for utilizing equity impact assessments in the county.

Accountability and Community Engagement in Salvage Yard Licensing

08/20/2020

This memo provides a report on best practices for improvement in accountability and community engagement in the licensing process for salvage yards. Policy options Commissioners Court may consider, including: Consider implementing a process of notifying potentially impacted members of the public of any application related to a proposed salvage yard site, via mail or some other method beyond the notice that might be afforded in a Commissioners Court agenda item. (5 of 5 counties reviewed). Consider adopting a process for a public hearing on salvage yard licenses. (4 of 5 counties reviewed). Consider convening a review of the Harris County ordinance, hosted by the County Engineering Department, with Harris County Pollution Control, Harris County Public Health, and the Harris County Attorney’s Office to include further prohibition or restriction of a public or private nuisance, and/or define further the threat to public health and safety.

Cost Estimate of Harris County Services for an Individual Experiencing Homelessness

08/12/2020

Costs for services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness vary widely depending upon the root cause of homelessness and the service response needed. Root causes such as job loss, natural disaster, mental illness, or substance or alcohol addiction often require individuals to draw upon multiple County services. This report estimates the total annual average costs per person incurred to Harris County for services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Zero Based Budgeting Analysis

07/21/2020

This report provides an overview of Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) - a method of budgeting that compels budgeting entities to create budgets starting from zero and provide justifications for each expenditure for consideration by decision-makers. This report highlights four case studies that demonstrate how local governments have applied variations of ZBB and includes three policy options for Harris County Commissioners Court to consider.

Law Enforcement and First Responder Response to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Calls for Service

07/09/2020

The Commissioners Court requested the Analyst's Office, in partnership with the Justice Administration Department, analyze the feasibility and cost of creating a new county-level program to route 9-1-1 calls for mental health and substance abuse to a non-law enforcement crisis response team. This abridged version of the study includes a background of the existing 9-1-1 responses, agencies, and programs involved with substance abuse and mental health response in Harris County. The final report, led by the Justice Administration Department, is forthcoming.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income and Minority Households

05/28/2020

Prior to outbreak of the novel coronavirus low-income and minority communities experienced disproportionate health outcomes such as reduced access to health insurance, reduced access to financial support, increased prevalence of illnesses like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure—and the current outbreak is compounding existing disadvantages and the social statuses are not distinct. This memo outlines strategies policymakers can adopt to mitigate these impacts.

Inventory of Polling Location Changes in Harris County

05/19/2020

This analysis compiled an inventory of locations, addresses,voting precinct numbers, county commissioner precinct number, reasons, and dates, from 2011-2019, in response to poll location closures in Harris County. Starting in 2016, events, including polling location boundary changes and Hurricane Harvey, led to higher numbers of changes. The 2016 General Election saw the highest number of polling location changes, with 175 ( 23%) of all polling locations available that election, changed. 

Inventory of Active COVID-19 Relief Funds Across the US, Review of Best Practices for Relief Funds, and Estimate of the Impact of Proposed Harris County Fund

04/22/2020

The economic fallout related to COVID-19 impacts many Harris County residents and businesses. This memo provides an overview of then-emerging COVID-19 economic relief funds in jurisdictions across the country and offers best practices for establishing a local relief fund. This memo also provides a review of the economic outlook in Harris County as a result of the pandemic, current relief efforts underway, and estimates of the impact of a proposed $15 million Harris County Relief Fund.

Inventory of Policies Implemented in Jurisdictions Across the United States to Address the Developing Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

03/13/2020

The rapid spread of COVID-19 prompted many jurisdictions to enact local policies to prevent transmission of the disease. This memo provides a summary of CDC guidelines and a review of reported advisories, policies, and strategies implemented by other jurisdictions in response to COVID-19.