Adrian Garcia’s story begins in Houston’s Northside, the place he grew up because the youngest baby of Mexican immigrants. He by no means imagined that he would sometime signify over one million individuals as Harris County Commissioner for Precinct 2.
Garcia attended public college however didn’t converse English. He recalled spending his youth in his father’s Lindale Park auto restore store, watching him help to these in want. This upbringing nonetheless informs how he approaches fairness in governance at this time.
From serving 23 years with the Houston Police Division to turning into the primary Latino sheriff in Harris County, his profession was formed by battle and repair alike. In 2003, Garcia was elected to the Houston Metropolis Council, the place he chaired committees on Public Security and Minority/Ladies Enterprise Enterprise.
At the moment, as commissioner, he carries classes from his upbringing, a long time in legislation enforcement and group roots into his management of certainly one of Texas’ most numerous precincts.
“It comes from being within the entrance seat of a patrol automotive, as a result of as a younger police officer, I’d drive into neighborhoods which have been uncared for,” Garcia advised the Defender. “You possibly can go searching and see that at one time these neighborhoods had been thriving, however had been then considerably deserted, presumably by metropolis authorities.”
Reforms
Because the Harris County Sheriff, Garcia tackled persistent jail overcrowding, carried out efficiencies that saved over $200 million and added 200 officers.
Although an unsuccessful mayoral run in 2015 paused his political trajectory, he returned to public workplace as a county commissioner in 2018, serving a Latino-majority precinct demographic.
One among his hallmark achievements is in parks and inexperienced areas. In 2021, Garcia’s staff remodeled James Driver Park in East Aldine into an inclusive park for youngsters with disabilities.
He additionally launched Revive to Thrive, a $50 million neighborhood revitalization program aimed toward restoring long-neglected areas with out displacing longtime residents. He describes it as an anti-gentrification technique to guard communities moderately than value them out.
“I show to them that authorities does work for everyone, not simply the prosperous,” Garcia defined.
He additionally secured about half a billion {dollars} for crucial neighborhood drainage tasks and oversaw cleansing 1.2 million ft of roadside ditches to cut back neighborhood flooding. Coupling infrastructure fixes with park enhancements and group beautification, Garcia’s method is rooted in not forgetting the place he comes from.
As Texas braces for cuts to FEMA funding, Garcia has been outspoken concerning the dangers for native governments. He co-chairs the Nationwide Affiliation of Counties’ Intergovernmental Catastrophe Reform Process Pressure, advocating for extra dependable federal assist.
“That [FEMA cuts] is horrifying as a result of we’ve already seen that this governor needs to work towards native authorities, strictly due to politics,” he stated. “I’m very involved that Harris County could also be punished for being a up to date county. I’ll proceed to do the issues that may assist my group be resilient with the assets that I’ve towards climate occasions.”
Focusing “aggressively” on well being, reasonably priced housing, training and financial alternative in Precinct 2’s underserved areas can be excessive on Garcia’s precedence record. Throughout his first Commissioners Court docket assembly, he motioned to spice up funding for the Harris County Hospital District by $5 million, addressing years of neglect in healthcare funding.
Underneath his management, Precinct 2 supplied greater than 3,600 well being providers and screenings at its Access2Health SmartPods and advocated for Medicaid growth to cowl uninsured Texans.
Garcia’s precinct now additionally gives free SAT and ACT prep courses to assist extra native college students get into school.
He authorised Harris County’s first-ever Workplace of Financial Alternative to foster a “aggressive and numerous atmosphere” in county contracting for girls and minority-owned small companies and launched Biz2Empower accelerator program to show small enterprise house owners how you can bid for presidency contracts and scale up their firms.
Balancing budgets
Whereas holding a detailed eye on fiscal accountability amid Harris County’s price range shortfall and political battles over taxes in recent times, Garcia says matching spending with income is essential.
As a former sheriff, he has been adamant concerning the county’s assist for legislation enforcement with out wasteful spending. Following a heated debate, the Commissioners Court docket not too long ago authorised a movement to extend wages for deputies ($140 million) by 2026.
“Some could take a look at it strictly by way of the cash that’s being invested, however moderately, I’m the one particular person on the court docket who has been a police officer on the streets,” Garcia stated. “When town went by a crucial financial downturn, I noticed the crime fee explode. I noticed the murder fee attain its highest in historical past. I do know what can occur if we don’t spend money on public security.”
Wanting forward: imaginative and prescient for Harris County’s future
After a long time of service, Garcia’s ideas on his legacy hinge on being remembered as a public servant who, like his father, all the time gave again and by no means forgot his roots.
“I wish to be generally known as somebody who acknowledged the challenges in each neighborhood throughout the precinct, not leaving anybody behind, working arduous to resolve difficult issues,” he stated. “I wish to be generally known as a commissioner who seemed on the complete image of what his precinct wants.”
