Bellaire City Council officially adopted an ordinance Jan. 26 to call a special election to fill the vacant seat for Position 4, which was left empty by former City Council member Cindy Cohen-Taylor, who gave up the remainder of her term in December. The approval allowed for candidate filings to officially open Jan. 27.

What residents need to know: City Attorney Alan Petrov said this year's special election, which will be held May 2, will see some changes, including who holds the election. Because of the March primaries in 2026, he said that Harris County will not be holding the special election for the city as it has in the past.

"We're going to have to do it ourselves," Petrov said during the meeting. "To make things simpler, instead of having the five normal polling places, we're consolidating to one polling place here in city hall." 

Get involved: Interested candidates have until March 3 to file an application for the position. Early voting will be conducted from April 20-27.

After 26 years in business, Houston-based clothing retail chain Francesca’s started the process of liquidating all merchandise and closing all stores in mid-January, according to a letter from company officials to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The company operates more than 450 stores in over 45 states, with 52 of those stores being in Texas, according to the company website.

What happened: In early January, the company received a notice of default from its lender that required the company to permanently shut down, according to the letter.

“After assessing options, the Company concluded, in its business judgment, that it had no alternative but to immediately cut costs, sell existing inventory, and ultimately cease operations,” the letter states.

• Began liquidating Jan. 14

Harris County commissioners will meet Jan. 29 with more than 300 agenda items on the docket, including discussion items regarding Harris Health’s proposed hospital expansion in Hermann Park, the county’s response to Winter Storm Fern and the countywide policy for law enforcement salaries.

What you need to know: Harris Health officials have complied with Commissioners Court’s October request and have prepared their public presentation on community engagement efforts regarding the $410 million Ben Taub Hospital expansion in the Texas Medical Center.

After the presentation, Commissioners Court will hold its Chapter 26 public hearing on the agenda item and is expected to also vote to authorize a formal public hearing on the hospital expansion March 19.

Also of note: Officials with Harris County’s budget office look to discuss the countywide policy for the new law enforcement salary scale. Law enforcement pay parity has reached various points at Commissioners Court, including a decision to spend $104 million on county law enforcement pay in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget, which required identifying necessary savings to provide for raises. 

Six Republican candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge.

The six candidates filed to run for a seat that had been occupied by a Republican until Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo defeated incumbent Republican Ed Emmett in 2018.

The setup: The candidates are Patrick “Marty” Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association; former Houston City Council member Orlando Sanchez; Air Force veteran Warren Howell; Piney Point Village Mayor Aliza Dutt; retired member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Oscar Gonzalez; and Spring Branch business owner and resident George Harry Zoes.

Zooming out: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced in September that she will not seek reelection for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county.

Candidates responded to six questions, including:

• Why are you running for Harris County judge?
• What are your top three priorities for constituents in Harris County, and why?
• What is your approach to collaborating with other commissioners to reach consensus on policy and budget decisions?

Three Democratic candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge in the March primaries.

The big picture: Harris County voters will be able to cast their ballots in the Democratic primary in March for former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, former Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer or local entrepreneur Matt Salazar.

Zooming out: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced in September she will not seek re-election for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county. Hidalgo has served as county judge since 2019 and was re-elected after winning the county seat during the November 2022 general election. Her current four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2026.

What residents should know: Early voting runs from Feb. 17-27. Election day is March 3.

Candidates responded to six questions including:

• Why are you running for Harris County judge?
• What are your top three priorities for constituents in Harris County, and why?
• What is your approach to collaborating with other commissioners to reach consensus on policy and budget decisions?