Harris County began live streaming meetings of Harris County Commissioners Court to the public in mid-November, a step designed to make county government even more transparent. Anyone with access to the Internet can log on to http://www.harriscountytx.gov/CourtVideo.aspx and watch entire scheduled meetings of the court, which usually convenes on the second and fourth Mondays.
Links to the live streaming also will be posted on Harris County’s main website – www.harriscountytx.gov – under the “Court Agenda” heading. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett also has included a direct link to the live streaming from his website, www.judgeemmett.org.
Members of Commissioners Court unanimously approved a proposal this summer to begin making their meetings available to the public by internet as soon as possible. Officials with the county’s Information Technology Center implemented the policy and were able to complete the process quickly. The result is a more open and transparent Harris County government. Archived court meetings will be a valuable research tool, also.
“Commissioners Court has shown a real commitment to opening county government as wide as possible,” Emmett said of the live streaming. “Members of the public can now see its representatives working live. Or, they can access the archived meetings at a later date. Either way, it’s a major step toward transparency. I thank Bruce High, executive director, and the employees in the Information Technology Center for making it happen so quickly.”
