Issues – Orlando Sanchez for Harris County

Orlando Sanchez’s Plan for Accountable Leadership

Results. Responsibility.
Leadership You Can Measure.

Harris County already has plans, dashboards, and promises.

What it needs now is leadership that delivers results.

As County Judge, Orlando Sanchez will focus on safer communities, lower costs, responsible government, and completing the projects taxpayers have already paid for.

Real Solutions for Property Tax Relief

Harris County families are being squeezed by higher costs and rising property taxes. County government can stop making life harder by working harder to control its expenses. Orlando Sanchez will focus county spending on core services, eliminate waste, and require every tax dollar to produce measurable results before asking taxpayers to pay more.

Prioritize public safety, flood control, infrastructure, courts, and emergency management.
Require quarterly public performance reviews.
Publish a plain-English Taxpayer Impact Statement before major budget votes.
Require every new program to identify funding, measurable results, and a sunset review.
Require a public savings review before considering any tax increase.

Responsible Government

Harris County already has dashboards and reports. Taxpayers deserve accountability. Orlando Sanchez will insist on measurable performance, open contracting and competitive bidding, responsible budgeting, and clear consequences when projects fail to deliver.

Results-based budgeting
Public contract transparency
Independent audits
Quarterly accountability hearings
Measurable performance

Flood Protection Through Regional Leadership

Orlando’s decades of experience in local government have given him strong working relationships with elected officials, flood-control agencies, and community leaders throughout the region. Those relationships will help Harris County coordinate more effectively across county lines when preparing for storms, improving drainage, and responding to disasters.

Floodwaters do not stop at county lines; neither should flood planning. Orlando Sanchez will focus on completing promised flood-control projects, protecting taxpayer investments, and working with neighboring counties to improve regional drainage, emergency planning, and infrastructure. Harris County doesn’t need another flood plan—it needs finished projects and accountable leadership.

Independent review of flood projects
Protect federal and state funding
Public project deadlines
Regional coordination with Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, and Liberty Counties
Finish the projects voters already funded

Public Safety First

Every family deserves safe neighborhoods, responsive law enforcement, efficient courts, and a justice system that works. Orlando Sanchez will ensure public safety investments produce measurable results while strengthening cooperation among county agencies.

Fully support the Sheriff’s Office, Constables, prosecutors, and courts.
Improve staffing, response times, and case processing.
Expand technology that improves investigations and accountability.
Coordinate law enforcement, courts, schools, and emergency responders.
Publish public safety performance measures.

Issues Statements from Orlando

Build a Thriving HISD

I am proud to celebrate the remarkable progress made by Houston ISD students, educators, and school leaders since the state takeover. Academic performance has improved across key metrics, more students are reading on grade level, graduation rates have risen, and chronic absenteeism has declined, with both students and teachers. These gains reflect dedicated work in the classroom and a renewed focus on fundamentals that put children first. Houston families deserve credit for their resilience, and the reforms implemented have delivered tangible results for our kids.

As I recognize these achievements, I also believe the time is drawing near for a thoughtful transition back to greater local governance. Houston ISD’s elected Trustees should begin rotating back onto the Board in a structured, responsible manner that protects the hard-won gains, while restoring community voice and accountability. Strong public education thrives when it is both effective and locally connected. HISD must maintain strong centralized leadership to manage district expectations. Ensuring that student achievement is the number one priority is paramount.

I especially urge the business community to double down on its commitment to quality public education. A thriving HISD is essential to a skilled workforce, safe neighborhoods, and a competitive Houston economy. Employers, chambers of commerce, and industry leaders have a vital stake in ensuring every Houston child receives a world-class education that prepares them for success.

Together, we can all build on the progress of the past several years and secure a brighter future for every student in Houston ISD. Our children have shown what is possible when adults set high expectations and work in partnership. Let us now come together – parents, educators, trustees, elected officials, and business leaders, to build upon the successes and deliver the excellent public schools our community demands and deserves.

Orlando Sanchez
Republican Candidate for Harris County Judge

Protecting Harris County Families from Domestic Abuse

Harris County is facing a devastating domestic abuse crisis that demands urgent, decisive action. Far too many families, especially women and children, live in fear, trapped in dangerous situations with nowhere safe to turn. As your next County Judge, I will make protecting victims of domestic violence a top priority by demanding accountability, expanding effective resources, and ensuring our local government focuses on core public safety responsibilities rather than wasteful spending.

Recent data paints a heartbreaking picture. Harris County leads the state in turning away women seeking shelter from domestic violence. According to a Houston Chronicle report citing data from the Texas Council on Family Violence, 75% of women who sought a bed in one of Harris County’s domestic violence shelters were denied admittance last year – the highest rate in Texas. Statewide, the denial rate has more than doubled over 15 years to 51%, but our county’s failure is the worst. Local organizations have only about 425 shelter beds for a population where more than 2 million women reside, and data suggest one in three will face an abusive relationship.

This shortage is not just a statistic; it is a matter of life and death. Harris County has seen spikes in domestic violence killings even as some statewide trends improve. Victims and their children attempting to leave face dramatically heightened danger, yet our current system repeatedly turns them away due to lack of space, staffing shortages, and strained funding. This reflects years of mismanagement under prior leadership: insufficient coordination, over-reliance on uncertain grants, and a failure to prioritize essential victim services amid rising demand.

As a former Harris County Treasurer and Houston City Council member with proven experience in fiscal oversight and public service, I will bring results-oriented leadership to Commissioners Court. My approach includes:

Prioritizing funding for shelter expansion and support services through efficient use of taxpayer dollars, better coordination among agencies, law enforcement, and nonprofits, and public-private partnerships to increase available beds and reduce turn-away rates.
Strengthening accountability in the justice system to hold perpetrators responsible, support faster case processing, and ensure victims and their children receive the protection they deserve without bureaucratic delays.
Restoring fiscal sanity so we can invest in core safety needs, including domestic violence response, instead of wasteful programs. Every dollar saved through prudent budgeting can help fund additional shelter capacity, staffing, and prevention efforts.
Promoting prevention and community awareness while working with state partners, including support for initiatives like state’s efforts to combat family violence.

Domestic violence is not a partisan issue. It is a public safety emergency that destroys lives and tears families apart. Harris County deserves leadership that puts victims and children first, demands results, and delivers real solutions rather than excuses. As County Judge, I will fight every day to ensure no victim is turned away and that our communities are safer for everyone.

Together, we can restore accountability and protect the most vulnerable in Harris County. I ask for your support in November.