Houston Chronicle Misses Many Points on HCFCD Leadership Discussion

The Houston Chronicle published an editorial about the leader of the Harris County Flood Control District, Tina Petersen, Ph.D., this morning. Harris County Commissioners will discuss her job performance tomorrow in executive session. The move was prompted by the detailed disclosure on May 1, 2026, of the status of Community Development Block Grant Projects.

Petersen spread sunshine in the form of vague generalities about the projects at Commissioners Court until Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey started demanding detailed information. The results were shocking. Especially for 11 CDBG projects with a deadline of 2/28/27 – roughly nine months away. The projects usually take 1-2 years to complete.

Point/Counterpoint

Because the Chronicle is a copyrighted publication, I will quote only the passages that struck me as “off the wall,” then state why I disagree with them.

What Harris County Needs?

The Chronicle headline read: “Harris County needs stable leadership at Flood Control — not backroom politics.”

My headline would have read, “Harris County needs results, accountability and transparency from Flood Control – not excuses.”

Worse Time?

Their editorial board recommends keeping her and says that this discussion “couldn’t come at a worse time.” Actually, it could in my opinion. It could come when there’s no longer any hope of saving hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

At the moment, there may still be time to turn some of the projects around. The editorial board seems to assume that if a project is in construction, the GLO will automatically grant an extension. But the GLO has repeatedly said that any extension(s) would depend on how close any given project is to completion.

The Chronicle also doesn’t consider what would happen if a project were started, but not completed in time – a nightmare scenario from a financial point of view.

All But Two Projects under Contract?

The Chronicle claims, “All but two [emphasis added] of those projects are under contract for construction, putting the flood control district in a good position to formally request an extension on the federal funds…”

HCFCD’s own spreadsheet shows that four construction contracts have not been awarded yet – Genoa Red Bluff, Kluge, Isom Street and Dinner Creek Stormwater Detention Basins.

Worse, nine of the 11 projects have not yet billed a penny. Only two have billed anything and one of those is seriously behind schedule,

The Chronicle should understand that “under contract” does not mean “under construction.” It can take contractors months to mobilize for construction.

Undermine Progress?

The Chronicle claims, “A leadership change at this juncture would likely undermine that progress.”

What progress are they referring to?

Responsible Governance?

The Chronicle believes that changing leadership “would be a return to the bad old days of Commissioners Court, defined by opaque maneuvering, where political relationships often took precedence over responsible governance.”

Do you mean like when they hired Petersen?

To my way of thinking, responsible governance is governance that delivers results. The Chronicle seems to defend the squandering of tax dollars. A change in leadership would show GLO and HUD that Harris County does not accept failure and misdirection.

Lost Confidence?

The Chronicle stated, “This turmoil is what we feared would happen after County Judge Lina Hidalgo stated she “lost confidence” in Petersen.

I believe Hidalgo had valid concerns. The flood control district was not being transparent enough in providing timely updates. It was not providing actionable data to commissioners and the public regarding projects that were in jeopardy of losing funding.

Scapegoating?

“We don’t think the current executive should be scapegoated,” says the Chronicle, “… and neither should any county resident who cares about keeping floodwater out of their living room.”

Huh? Since when is making a leader accountable for the performance of her team “scapegoating”? And how are county residents being scapegoated? They’re the victims here.

Productive Relationships?

The Chronicle also believes that Petersen “helped rebuild productive relationships with the General Land Office and Department of Housing and Urban Development…”

Name your sources, Chronicle! Put quotes around their praise so that other media can verify what they said. Vague generalities got us into this mess.

Reasons?

“If there’s a reason to fire Peterson, tell the public what it is,” said the Chronicle editorial. 

Duh again! She is failing and jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars. Here’s the link to her own spreadsheet again. If the Chronicle leadership missed deadlines and financial projections by years, how long do you think it would be before Hearst pulled the plug?

What happened to transparency, accountability and results? Do those no longer count in the Chronicle’s world?

You might also want to check previous department head turnover, Chronicle. Four years ago, 16 of 20 department heads turned over with whole layers of management underneath them. Where were you then, Editorial Board?

Non Sequiturs?

The Chronicle editorial claims that if local leaders remove Petersen, it could lead to HCFCD “being put under state control.”

This may have something to do with legislation proposed in 2025 that died in committee. The Chronicle doesn’t give specifics. It just says, “The state Legislature has proposed a bill that would put the district under state control.” What does that have to do with Tina Petersen’s performance?

Here’s another non sequitur, Chronicle! Rep. Dennis Paul did introduce a bill (HB2068 in 2025) that would have created a river-basin-wide flood-control district. The Chronicle correctly stated that the bill would have had directors appointed by the governor. But the Houston Chronicle omitted the fact that it only would have been created after voters in individual counties approved it. Please explain how voter approval infringes on local control in your minds?

And by the way, “legislatures” don’t introduce bills; “legislators” do. Just FYI.

Rash Decisions?

“We urge Commissioners Court to table any rash decisions on flood control leadership on Thursday,” says the editorial.

News flash, Chronicle! This train has been coming down the tracks for years.

Open Discussion of Personnel Matters?

The editorial concludes with the admonition that any discussion of Petersen’s future “should be discussed openly…”

Such public discussions can result in people becoming virtually unemployable for the rest of their careers, which is why state law allows and county policy encourages such discussions in Executive Session.

But you’re entitled to your opinions. And I respect your right to voice them. Please just make sure they’re based on facts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/13/26

3179 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.