Harris County commissioner questions flood control district worker’s $8,120 three-day trip

Many questions surround the director of flood control’s request of $8,000 to go to a conference in California

Many questions surround the director of flood control’s request of $8,000 to go to a conference in California

Many questions surround the director of flood control’s request of $8,000 to go to a conference in California

Many questions surround the director of flood control’s request of $8,000 to go to a conference in California

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A taxpayer-funded three-day conference trip for a Harris County employee was too much for one commissioner, who questioned why they needed more than $8,000.

Harris County commissioner questions ‘pretty extraordinary’ travel request

On Thursday’s Harris County commissioners court agenda was an out-of-state travel request that caught Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s attention.

“I thought the costs associated with that were pretty extraordinary,” Ramsey said.

Documents show the Harris County Flood Control District wanted to send one person to the Urban Land Institute fall conference. The price tag for the three-day conference for taxpayers was $8,120.

Ramsey pulled the item from the other travel requests. Commissioners later returned to the item for a vote.

Ramsey was the lone vote against it. Commissioners Adrian Garcia, Rodney Ellis, and Judge Lina Hidalgo voted for it.

Although she approved it, Hidalgo told ABC13 her office is looking into it.

“I have to believe there’s something else to that,” Hidalgo said. “Certainly, an estimate of many thousands of dollars per night, it doesn’t make sense. We’re still running that down.”

Calls to the conference reveal the request is thousands of dollars more than the actual cost

The request lays out how much would be spent on individual items, including hotel, airfare, and registration fees. Director Tina Petersen made the request, but ABC13 was told it’s a trip for the chief of staff.

ABC13 asked Petersen why the employee needed $8,120.

“I don’t have anything to say,” Petersen said. “We can certainly talk to you when we get back to you in the office.”

After seeing the figures in the document, ABC13 did some digging. The department requested $3,500 for the hotel.

We called the Urban Land Institute and asked how much the block room rates were. We were told there are three hotels with a rate of $249 a night.

The most expensive room went for $525. Eyewitness News mentioned those figures to Petersen.

“We do estimates in our travel and we try to be conservative in our numbers,” Petersen explained.

A flood control district spokesperson later sent us a statement saying, “The amount submitted was a rough estimate covering airfare, lodging, registration, per diem, and incidentals. These estimates are intended to provide an upper limit for approval and include buffers.

All actual expenses are paid at reasonable market rates and in line with applicable public sector pricing policies. The item was ultimately approved by Commissioners Court today.”

Estimates aren’t needed, though, for all items. The conference lists the registration fees.

According to the document, the requester wanted $1,700 for registration. The conference website shows that for public sector attendees, the registration fee is $1,070 if paid before August 8.

The requester also requested $1,500 for airfare. Travel websites show that for the week of the conference in November, round-trip tickets are around $200.

Hidalgo’s Paris trip was also discussed, and she got into it with one leader over their ‘no’ vote

The San Francisco trip wasn’t the only one discussed during the meeting. Hidalgo revisited her recent Paris trip.

She wanted to use more than $20,000 taxpayer dollars for the weeklong trade mission. Instead, commissioners denied it.

She used campaign funds. Because of this, she wants to change the travel policy for future trips.

“Despite my paying out of the campaign funds for a security detail, the fire marshal did not allow the security detail to travel,” Hidalgo said.

It didn’t pass after Commissioners Ramsey and Garcia voted against it.

“What’s the reason for that, Commissioner Garcia?” Hidalgo asked.

“I don’t need to give you a reason,” Garcia said. “I’m just voting no. Let’s move on.”

After the meeting, ABC13 asked Hidalgo why she wanted Garcia to clarify his vote.

“It’s clear in other votes why somebody has a position, but in this one it seemed inexplicable to not allow a travel policy so that we can participate in these kinds of trade missions,” Hidalgo explained.

It’s a Paris trip that’s not going away. Hidalgo says she plans to revisit the travel policy.

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