Head of Texas' largest county ditched budget meeting for Hans Zimmer concert: report

The highest-ranking elected executive in charge of Texas' largest county stormed out of a budget meeting in apparent rage over the proceedings on Sept. 9 — but according to the Houston Chronicle, text messages suggest she was planning the early departure ahead of time to attend a Hans Zimmer concert.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, in charge of the county that includes Houston, "apparently frustrated with commissioners’ refusal to fund several early childcare programs on the chopping block as part of the county’s annual budget process, left the meeting around 6:50 p.m. — 40 minutes before a Hans Zimmer concert was scheduled to begin at the Toyota Center," said the report. Before leaving, she said, “I don't know what we're doing here for not standing up for children. Shame on you."

At the time, she "posted an image of herself at the concert, but never explicitly stated that her departure, which came roughly one hour before the meeting ended, was planned," said the report. However, text messages with her chief of staff suggested that she had initially planned to leave around 5:45 to have time to buy souvenirs.

“Hiram wants us to get there by 6:30 p.m. if possible because he wants to buy some merch,” said the text from Hidalgo.

The dispute at the council meeting, according to the report, "came amid a monthslong dispute between Hidalgo and her fellow commissioners over a proposed package of cuts intended to bridge the county’s $270 million project deficit. The deficit has since been filled, but the rift remains between Hidalgo and Democratic Commissioners Lesley Briones and Adrian Garcia, as well as Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey."

Hidalgo, who unseated a Republican incumbent in a surprise upset in 2018, was once considered a potential rising Democratic Party star, but has had an increasingly rocky relationship with many other officials in Houston. She announced earlier this year that she will not seek re-election in 2026.