Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones Moves Precinct 4 Forward in First One Hundred Days
In the first 100 days, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones led the passage of a holistic justice and safety package, positioned the Precinct to significantly increase infrastructure investments, and traveled across the Precinct engaging with residents and building community partnerships.
“These first 100 days are a testament to what is to come in Harris County Precinct 4—investment in our communities, increased opportunity for all residents, and a commitment to creating a County where everyone has a fair shot,” said Commissioner Briones. “This is just the beginning of our work toward building a more equitable Precinct 4 in which working-class families have strong job opportunities, access to quality healthcare and affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods to raise their children. Together, we will continuously move Precinct 4 forward.”
Click here for a detailed timeline of successes in Precinct 4.
In a commitment to building sustainable, strategic, and sensible infrastructure, Commissioner Briones doubled the team of engineers and planners, and doubled the investment in road, bridge, trail, park, and building infrastructure projects.
Commissioner Briones led the negotiation and final deal for the funding allocation of the CDBG-MIT grant for 2018 Flood Control Bond Projects, partnership projects, and county flood mitigation projects.
Precinct 4 broke ground on a $6.1 million project to improve street drainage and lower the flooding risk in the Westfield Pines and Village Subdivision area, which had 33 single-family residences flooded during Hurricane Harvey.
Launched a call for partnership projects, Places 4 People, to stretch taxpayer dollars and deliver more collaborative infrastructure projects by inviting partnership opportunities with area cities, school districts, MUDs, TIRZs, management districts, and other local government partners.
Commissioner Briones is prioritizing the physical, mental, and environmental health and wellbeing of our residents.
Commissioner Briones voted to accept $6 million in federal ARPA funding for the Reproductive Healthcare Access Fund to remove financial barriers to women’s health and preventative reproductive care, particularly in low-income and underserved communities across Harris County.
In a win for a cooler, safer, more walkable, and more beautiful Alief, Precinct 4 obtained $2 million in ARPA funding for the Alief Street Forest, an initiative which includes planting 1,200 trees along 17 miles of roads in Alief.
To make government more responsive and more effective for residents, Commissioner Briones tripled the Precinct 4 community engagement team and is actively collaborating with local, state, and federal officials.
Community engagement team members attended over 300 public events and hosted three of 12 “listening tours” planned across the Precinct during Briones’ first few months in office.
Precinct 4 hosted its first-ever Iftar, welcoming over 80 community members for the inaugural event.
Commissioner Briones and her government relations team met with 32 state legislators, four members of the Harris County congressional delegation, and 17 Houston City Council members.
Commissioner Briones took major steps to improve community safety and increase access to justice. Briones championed the Holistic Justice and Safety Package, which included requests for six new District Courts, expansion of the Holistic Assistance Response Teams (HART) into Precinct 4, expansion of the Public Defender’s Office, and the creation of a fund to provide judges with the resources they need to implement best practices and reduce the court backlog.
Commissioner Briones is prioritizing policies and programs that provide access to quality education and equitable economic opportunities.
Commissioners Court approved the largest investment in apprenticeships in Harris County’s history, doubling the number of apprenticeship opportunities. These apprenticeships allow community members to earn while they learn.
Harris County leveraged over $18 million in federal dollars toward emergency rental assistance and single-family housing acquisition and approved a contract for $4 million for eviction legal aid.
About Harris County Precinct 4
Precinct 4 is one of four precincts located in Harris County, Texas and boasts a population of more than 1.2 million people. Precinct 4 maintains 1,423 miles of roads and nearly 4 miles of bridges, eight community centers with more than 700,000 visitors annually, and 54 parks, with 13,455 acres of greenspace.
Source: Harris County Precinct 4
