A number of items on the Commissioners Court agenda would be out of place in the Houston City Council agenda. One such item on the current agenda is the entry for protective services for children and adults. Entry number 3 on the 10b under Youth and Family Services states that commissioners will request authorization to appropriate donated funds into different uses. The total amount donated is $5,000, which was donated to participants in the Community Youth Services Program (HarrisCounty, pp.12). Some of the purchases that the Commissioners Court requires approval for include school uniforms, gift cards, shampoo, and school supplies. The court also requests authorization for the payment of various fees to cater for any emergency needs of participants in the program.
The item is different from what would be found on the Houston City Council agenda because protective services for children and adults are under the mandate of county councils rather than city councils (HCPS, par.3). State laws grant county councils with authority to run youth and family welfare services in their specific areas. The request for authorization to use the donations is different because such services are offered a collaboration between county agencies rather than city council agencies (HCTexas, par.2). The agenda item is different from Houston City Council agendas because the request to use such donations would be undertaken by a committee that handles issues related to youths and family services. Such smaller committees would handle issues related to the disbursement of donations instead of the Houston City Council.
- HarrisCounty. “Supplemental Notice of a public meeting.” 2017. Report.
- HCPS. “Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults.” 2015. Harris County Texas.
- HCTexas. Harris County Youth and Family Services Division. 2015. Web.