Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg thanked county commissioners Tuesday for approving $7.5 million in funding to fill existing prosecutor positions in areas such as Domestic Abuse and Sex Crimes and increase the pay of entry-level hires.
By a vote of 4-0, commissioners voted in favor of the proposal that essentially unfreezes the funds that had previously been earmarked for existing positions and salary increases.
“This vote was crucial to our role in keeping the public safe,” Ogg said. “The county must adequately fund prosecutors and police. Defunding puts the community at risk.”
Ogg spoke before a room packed with county law enforcement and senior prosecutors as she asked the court to make good on their own budget promises of February 2022.
The funds are to be used to fill open prosecutor and other positions and increase the pay of new prosecutors to be competitive with other prosecutor offices in the region.
Those who voted in favor of the funding include Commissioners Rodney Ellis, Adrian Garcia, Tom Ramsey and Jack Cagle. County Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained.
“With violent crime at a zenith, it is more important than ever to fund prosecutors, the public’s last line of defense against repeat violent offenders,” Ogg sai
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to making our community safer through evidence-based prosecution and equal justice for all. This means guaranteeing a fair process to obtain a just result for the victim, the accused and the community in every case.
