Primary Department: County Administration
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Erica Lee Carter, County Administrator
Secondary Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director
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):
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 County Administration for discussion and possible action related to the May 14, 2026, Court directive regarding the Department of Equity and Economic Opportunity’s prevailing wage compliance policies and procedures and possible recommendations.
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Background and Discussion:
The Worker & Community Protection (WCP) division of the Department of Equity and Economic Opportunity (DEEO) is responsible for ensuring Harris County’s compliance with regulatory requirements for federally, state, and locally funded construction projects. In this role, the WCP division monitors compliance with Texas Prevailing Wage Requirements, providing oversight to ensure that wage rates are properly adhered to. Additionally, WCP contracts with organizations such as the Port of Houston and Harris Health to deliver prevailing wage compliance services and related support functions.
The Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis has requested that the Auditor’s Office review the policies and procedures of the WCP division. The evaluation is intended to determine the effectiveness of these policies and procedures, identify any gaps or areas for improvement, and provide recommendations where applicable.
Expected Impact: N/A
Alternative Options: N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: 3. Make our economy more inclusive.
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): L1: Design a set of policies for Harris County to set dynamic living wage rates and ensure essential worker protections and high-quality benefits for all Harris County contracts, employees, and economic agreements.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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5/14/26 |
488 |
Motion approved: To direct DEEO to continue working with the Auditor to review DEEO’s wage compliance policies and procedures that have been in place from November 20205 to provide Court with an update at the July 9th meeting of Commissioners Court that identifies: the process for approving certified payroll records, including the forms of documentation used for confirming worker classifications; the process for conducting worksite visits and worker interviews; and the process for investigating complaints from workers regarding wage compliance. This update will include a preliminary set of recommendations for improving the process and identify any gaps in the existing process and additional support will be given to DEEO if needed. |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: 7/9/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): N/A
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Estella Gonzalez, Sr. Advisor - Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable):