Primary Department: Management and Budget
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Daniel Ramos, Executive Director
Secondary Department: Sheriff
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request by the Office of Management and Budget for discussion and possible action regarding options to update Harris County's maximum nonconsent tow rates in unincorporated Harris County, including incident-management / law-enforcement tow rates, private-property nonconsent tow rates, drop charges, and a recurring review and adjustment methodology.
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Background and Discussion:
On June 11, 2026, Commissioners Court directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to return on July 9, 2026, with an updated fee policy covering all fees and fines set by Commissioners Court. Nonconsent tow rates were the presenting concern, raised by towing operators, because the County's maximum nonconsent tow rates in the unincorporated areas of Harris County have not been adjusted since 2011.
Nonconsent tow rates are consumer price ceilings paid by vehicle owners to private towing operators; the County collects no portion of this revenue. Since 2011, the City of Houston has adjusted its rates annually, and cumulative inflation since 2011 is approximately 46 to 49 percent. As a result, the County's rates have fallen below the City's schedule and inflation-adjusted 2011 levels, raising operator cost-recovery and service-availability concerns. Private-property tow rates and drop charges are...
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