Walking out of the elevator on floor 9 of the county building Tuesday was akin to a stroll though the Galleria on a Saturday afternoon. People of all strata bent on spending money.

Only in this case, it was yours, not theirs. The crowd was there for the Harris County Commissioners Court and its mid-year budget review. Folks dressed in suits with cell phone earbuds mixed with baseball-capped old-timers, flashily dressed ladies with day planners and labor workers. Most had to stand in the hall and listen to the commissioners chatter away.

Aside from needing some extra room for the folks who grab dough and those who watch them, it was a somewhat festive occasion in light of some dire news: General fund expenditures for the first six months of the fiscal year were up 1.2 percent over projections. And the year, which ends in February, is expected to see an increase of 3.5 percent over last.

"The county cannot count on continued growth in revenues and expenditures," the fiscal review reads. "The county's management and budget processes should be prepared to overcome the difficulty of adjusting budgets and operations during times of financial decline."

So in light of this, who was there for more money? The Public Infrastructure Department says it needs more for its right-of-way division. And its facilities and property management unit seeks a fund that would be “adjusted” by a minimum of 8 percent each year.

The Sheriff’s Office claims a backlog of 900 cases in the firearms lab operation and says more money will be required for “continuation of certification and software.”

And don’t forget the public library system - $18 million for buildings.

One item on the regular agenda that caught our eye is the relentless request for additional deputies in Constable Precinct 4, where Ron Hickman has held sway since being elected in 2000. He has had his detractors and troubles over the years, as most any high-profile law enforcement official will experience. But we're thinking something weird might be going on out there in the northern suburban reaches.

On Tuesday, he asked for authorization to appoint two deputies to fill vacant positions. OK, nothing out of the ordinary there. Until you check and find that at the Feb. 24 meeting, he asked to appoint five deputies. And on March 24, he asked to appoint three. On April 7, he asked to appoint four. May 19, 6. And on July 14, he asked to appoint another six. Is he running some kind of sweatshop that results in a turnover rate approximating that of a local burger joint? Or are the people of Precinct 4 just really, really safe?

Neither, says Hickman, who acknowledges that his office has considerable turnover. He attributes some of it to the growth in the region, and also explains that working for him is often a stepping stone for police academy grads who are moving up the law enforcement ladder.

“We are one of the more rapidly growing organizations around, and there are also guys who come out of the police academy and will work for us for a couple of years and move on to their dream job,” Hickman tells Texas Watchdog. “We’re a talent pool.”

(Hickman's comments added 6:03 p.m. Sept. 29.)

Now, for something else that got our attention.

Harris County's Web site received a grade of A- in transparency from Sunshine Review, a wiki that provides a forum for anyone to rank its government on openness. Backup materials for any agenda item are readily available for anyone interested at the county building.

So if you are concerned about how your county tax dollars are being spent, this is a good place to get curious. But try to avoid the mid-term budget assessment until they move it somewhere more suitable. Like Minute Maid Park. Or maybe someplace in Precinct 4.