By: Bill King
A new poll from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, finds that 57% of Harris County residents believe the county is headed in the wrong direction.
I cannot recall a time when public sentiment about Harris County was this negative.
What’s striking is that no demographic subgroup expressed a positive outlook. Democrats were evenly split at 50/50, while 57% of Independents and 68% of Republicans viewed the county as on the wrong track. Younger residents and men were slightly more dissatisfied than other groups.
Crime remains the top concern, identified as the most serious issue by 20% of respondents. That figure, while still leading, marks a notable decline compared to recent years. The cost of housing and rising property taxes followed, tied at 13%.
Other frequently cited issues included street conditions (11%), flooding (9%), and traffic congestion (7%), which is historically low for that category. Economic and racial inequality registered at 10% and 4%, respectively. Homelessness was mentioned by 7%, and a lack of adequate public transportation by 6%.
What stands out is how broadly dissatisfaction is spread. There is only a 14-point gap between the most and least cited problems. No single issue dominates. Instead, residents appear discontented across a wide range of concerns.
The picture became somewhat clearer when respondents were asked to list their top three concerns. Crime was again the leading concern at 45%, followed by poor street conditions at 39%, and flooding at 37%. High housing costs (33%) and property taxes (32%) rounded out the top five.
Housing costs and property taxes are, of course, closely linked. Many renters who cite high housing costs may not realize that rising property taxes often lead to higher rents. If we combine the housing-related responses in both questions, they are well above any other issue.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo appears to be bearing the brunt of the public dissatisfaction. Her net approval is just 4%, remarkably low given that Democrats dominate the county’s partisan split. Other commissioners have significantly better approval ratings, though they remain relatively unknown to most voters. This is ironic, given that county judges have limited independent power. Most of the policies that have voters so cross are based on decisions made by the Commissioners. Hidalgo’s highly publicized meltdowns during Commissioners Court meetings and her contro
