Primary Department: Probate Courts
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: James Horwitz
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
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): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by Probate Court No. 4 for approval to utilize existing court budget allocations to cover the cost of parking for its employees.
end
Background and Discussion:
Probate Court 4 currently maintains a Harris County account with the 1401 Congress parking garage, which provides parking spaces for seven court staff members. This initiative aims to support staff retention, reduce commuting barriers, and enhance workplace accessibility. In previous years, the department has submitted purchase order (PO) requests to include the parking costs through the Court’s budget. However, the Purchasing Department has recently indicated that an agreement or court approval letter is required to authorize payment of the parking spaces from the Court’s budget. As a result, the Court’s most recent PO request was denied.
Operating within the third-largest county in the United States-with over five million residents-access to secure and reliable parking is essential for the effective functioning of this department and the court personnel. Providing reliable parking for the court staff is a practical step toward improving the overall efficiency of court operations. When staff have consistent access to parking, it reduces the stress and unpredictability of their daily commute, helping ensure they arrive on time and are ready to perform their duties. This contributes directly to smoother and more dependable court proceedings.
In addition to operational benefits, offering parking as part of the employee experience reflects the Court’s commitment to supporting its workforce. It serves as a meaningful gesture of appreciation and care, which can enhance morale, reduce turnover, and make the Court more competitive in attracting qualified personnel.
After a thorough review of current budget allocations, the Court has determined that it can absorb the cost of employee parking without impacting other essential services. This approach balances fiscal responsibility with strategic investment in staff support and operational continuity.
Probate Court 4 respectfully requests authorization to proceed with funding the department account with the 1401 Congress Garage for employee parking from its existing budget.
Expected Impact:
There will be no or very minimal fiscal impact on the current general fund budget as Probate Court 4 has consistently funded employee parking contracts from its existing budget, establishing a precedent for this expense as part of routine operational costs. This approach has proven sustainable over multiple fiscal years and continues to align with the department’s financial planning. For the upcoming fiscal year 2026, parking expenses have already been accounted for within the approved budget, ensuring continuity without requiring additional allocations or adjustments. This reinforces the Court’s ability to maintain employee parking support without compromising other essential services or programs.
Alternative Options:
County Strategic Plan Goal: Choose an item.
County Strategic Plan Objective: Choose an item.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
|
|
|
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Choose an item.
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
|
|
|
|
Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
Existing Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
$ |
$8,244.12 |
$8,244.12 |
$8,244.12 |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$8,244.12 |
$8,244.12 |
$8,244.12 |
|
Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
|
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
|
Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
|
|
Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
|
CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
|
CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 12/11/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 12/11/2025
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Jose Martinez, Court Manager, Probate Court 4
Attachments (if applicable):