Last year, Harris County workers were approved for wage increases, but employees of Harris Center—a public healthcare safety-net provider serving county residents—were left out. On Monday, Sept. 8, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones made the case that the affordability crisis and cuts to federal assistance due to President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” demand stronger protections for working families. She announced a proposed $1.4 million plan to set a $20 minimum wage for more than 200 frontline Harris Center staff who deliver essential mental‑health and crisis‑response services.
