Stuckett Unanimously Approved as New Head of HCFCD
6/25/26 – After 15 minutes in executive session this morning, Harris County Commissioners unanimously approved Marcus Stuckett as the new head of Harris County Flood Control District.
2-Years of Debate Boil Down to 57 Words
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE made the motion.
Ramsey: I’d like to make a motion to ratify the appointment of Marcus Stuckett as executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, with an effective date of hire of June 29th, 2026.
Ellis: I’ll second it.
Hidalgo: Can I second this one? Okay. All in favor?
(Four vote AYE, Garcia remained silent.)
Hidalgo: Any opposed? Abstentions? Okay. Motion carries. Unanimously. Congratulations to the new director.
The official record will show Garcia voted in favor of hiring Stuckett despite the fact that he remained silent. Unless a court member explicitly states that he/she votes Against or Abstains, the vote counts as FOR.
It was all over in 57 words and 41 seconds.
Under Dr. Tina Petersen, Stuckett’s predecessor, the speed of project execution slowed precipitously.
The slow rate of project execution put hundreds of millions of dollars of federal partnership funding at risk because of looming deadlines that HCFCD would likely miss.
Regardless, last night Garcia took to the airwaves to continue promoting Petersen and question the appointment of Stuckett on procedural grounds. See his comments on KHOU Channel 11, ABC Channel 13 and Fox Channel 26.
However, shortly after this morning’s vote in Commissioners Court, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) released this statement from Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. She said that she looks forward to working with Stuckett to serve the residents of Harris County. She added:
“Time is of the essence. Harris County residents deserve nothing less than ‘full speed ahead’ to ensure these projects are completed on time in accordance with the federal deadline.”
– Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“Like Changing a Tire on a Busy Freeway”
Stuckett inherits Petersen’s problems and a volatile, high-pressure, politically charged situation despite the apparent unanimity of today’s decision.
One observer said this about Stuckett’s return to HCFCD: “It will be like changing a tire on a busy freeway with traffic flying by at 70 MPH.”
There’s still a chance that HCFCD could miss deadlines on some projects. But the people I consulted for this story say that Stuckett is Harris County’s best hope for saving the federal funds.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/25/26
3222 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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