Hidalgo ‘thrilled to be back’ in office
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo thanked Harris County residents for their support Monday in a statement announcing her return to work after an extended leave of absence to receive mental health treatment.
Hidalgo said in the statement that she was “thrilled to be back,” and that her first day back on the job has included meeting with her staff and “slowly working through many supportive letters and notes.”
“Nobody would think twice to take time off work to recover from a heart attack or another physical ailment, and it should be the same way for mental illness,” she said in the statement. “With the treatment I’ve received, it no longer feels like I’m in a constant fight against depression. I hope that others who are struggling will look to my experience and feel empowered to get the help they need instead of suffering in silence.”
Hidalgo announced Aug. 7 that she had checked into an inpatient facility in late July for treatment for clinical depression. She said in a letter that she had been experiencing symptoms “for some time” but was not diagnosed until July. Hidalgo’s office declined to name the facility but said it was out of state.
Hidalgo initially said she and her medical team hoped she could return to her job by early September. Her office announced Sept. 14 that she would be extending her leave of absence until Oct. 2.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis presided over Harris County Commissioners Court meetings during Hidalgo’s absence.
Hidalgo’s return to work came three days after five people filed a lawsuit in Harris County District Court to remove Hidalgo from office. The suit claimed Hidalgo is unable to do her job due to her health concerns.
Harris County Judge’s Office spokesperson Brandon Marshall called the suit “meritless and an absolute joke.”
The most consequential vote that Hidalgo missed during her absence came on Sept. 19, when commissioners passed a $2.4 billion budget and a slightly decreased tax rate for the upcoming year. Only a simple majority of the five-member court is legally required to approve the budget.
Shortly before the vote, Hidalgo’s former Republican opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer called for Hidalgo to “return or resign” in an op-ed in the Chronicle. Marshall responded by saying Hidalgo would follow her medical team’s advice on when to return to work.