Although most recently in the headlines due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Harris County quickly recovered due in large part to the responsiveness of its government officials. One of the most popular government officials in Harris County today is District Clerk Chris Daniel who was elected to the office in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Some general information about Harris County is provided below, followed by a description of the role of the Harris County District Clerk and a summary in the conclusion.
Founded in 1836 and organized in 1837, Harris County is located in the Central Time Zone in the southeastern part of Texas and the county has experienced sustained growth over the years. In fact, the population of Harris County increased from just over 4 million residents in 2010 to more nearly 4.6 million by 2016, making it the third-most populous county in the entire country and the largest county in Texas. Moreover, the county seat of Harris County, Houston, is the state’s largest city and the fourth-largest city in the nation. The origins of the county actually date back to 1824 when John Richardson Harris, for whom the county is named, arrived in the region and acquired title to 4,428 acres of land at the confluence of Buffalo and Bray’s bayous in what is now Harris County.
Not surprisingly, in a state where everything else is big, Harris County is a large county comprised of 1,777 square miles (1,703 square miles of land and 74 square miles of water), making it larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Although Texas does not have a state property tax, school districts, cities and counties in the state, including Harris County, collect property taxes on all nonexempt property. The population of Harris County is approximately 42% Hispanic, one-third non-Hispanic whites, about 20% non-Hispanic blacks, and small (e.g., <2%) percentages of Native Americans, Asians (mostly Vietnamese), and Pacific Islanders. Current demographic projections indicate that by 2040, Hispanics will significantly outnumber non-Hispanic whites, becoming an even larger majority of the Harris County population.
Although fully one-third of high school students in Harris County do not graduate, the average median income for county residents is about $61,200, ranking it higher than the national average of $51,939. These income levels are attributable in large part to the high concentration of major industries and state agencies located in Harris County, including major private sector employers such as Administaff, Compaq, Continental Airlines, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, and Southwestern Bell as well as the public sector including the University of Houston and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. One of the elected officials who helps keep Harris County operating smoothly today is the District Clerk, Chris Daniel, whose office is described below.
Many of the residents of Harris County likely know about the District Clerk’s office as a result of being summoned for jury duty in one of its 76 courts (60 District Courts and 16 County Criminal Courts), but the role of the District Clerk extends far beyond this civic responsibility. For example, in contrast to County Clerks in Texas, the Harris County District Clerk is tasked with staffing the county’s 76 courts, the timely processing of passport applications, the custodial care for all county court records and for the safekeeping of deposits paid into the court registry by county residents for civil cases until they decided. In sum, pursuant to the Texas Constitution, District Clerks (1) serve as clerk and custodian of all records for the District Courts; (2) index and secure all court records; (3) collect filing fees, (4) handle funds held in litigation and money awarded to minors; (5) coordinates the jury panel selection process; (6) process passport applications (county-by-county basis) and (7) manage court registry funds.
The Harris County District Clerk’s office has a staff of about 450 employees and a $32 million annual budget that the current District Clerk has succeeded in stretching to impressive limits having introduced a number of significant digitized cost-saving initiatives over the years, including streamlining the passport application process and the manner in which subpoenas are served with “eSubpoena.” The District Clerk’s office is also planning on implementing a number of other digitized initiatives to better serve the government offices and citizens of Harris County in the future.
Full address
Physical Address
201 Caroline, Suite 420
Houston, Texas 77002
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4651
Houston, Texas 77210-4651
Phone
832-927-5800
efiling@hcdistrictclerk.com
Hours of operation
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (except on Harris County holidays)
As the largest county in Texas with the state’s largest city as its county seat, the District Clerk of Harris County performs an enormously valuable and important service for its 76 courts and 4.6 million residents. The current District Clerk, Chris Daniel, was elected to the office in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Given his proven track record of identifying opportunities for improving services and reducing costs, it is reasonable to conclude that he will be reelected again in the future. Regardless of who holds the office, though, it is clear that the Harris County District Clerk is a vital part of the county government that demands the best available public sector administrators.