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Commissioner Tom Ramsey Engages Houston’s Business Community in IACCGH Power Dialogue

By Somdatta Basu

In a powerful, candid dialogue hosted by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) on July 14, 2025, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey addressed a full room of business and community leaders at the Trini Mental Health Community Center. The event, part of the Chamber’s ongoing Power Dialogue series, was both insightful and introspective, shining a spotlight on core issues like infrastructure, flood mitigation, mental health, and the need for accountable public service.

Commissioner Ramsey, who represents Precinct 3—one of the largest in Harris County—spoke without notes, bringing both clarity and conviction to the conversation. He praised the IACCGH for its community impact, noting, “There aren’t enough organizations like this that actually try to figure out what it takes to do business.”

IACCGH Founding Secretary and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia opened the event by thanking attendees and outlining the Chamber’s commitment to collaboration. He emphasized partnerships with organizations and also highlighted key IACCGH initiatives —Women Mean Business, Small Business Series, Power Dialogue, NowGen, and Open Forums — that reflect the Chamber’s mission to serve as a voice and resource for Houston’s growing Indo-American business community.

Chamber President Malisha Patel, also Senior Vice President for Memorial Hermann Southwest and Sugar Land hospitals, welcomed Commissioner Ramsey and summarized the Chamber’s four guiding pillars: Facilitating India–U.S. commerce, Providing access to the Indian-American market, Representing the Indo-American business voice and Enabling professional and corporate success in Greater Houston.

She lauded the Commissioner’s decades of public service and leadership, pointing out his oversight of 6,800 miles of roads, 72 parks, and $900 million in infrastructure projects in Harris County.

Commissioner Ramsey, a civil engineer by training and former mayor of Spring Valley Village, didn’t shy away from hard truths. Much of his talk centered on the 2018 Harris County Flood Bond — initially passed at $2.5 billion — and the challenges in delivering the 181 voter-approved projects.

“We found another $2.7 billion from federal, state, and municipal partners. So now we’re at $5.2 billion. But we’re still a billion dollars short,” he revealed, noting his growing concern with cost overruns and lack of transparency. “That’s not inflation — that’s scope creep.”

The Commissioner emphasized the need for “statutory responsibility”— prioritizing roads, drainage, court systems, and public safety — before launching new programs. He was especially critical of unnecessary duplications, saying, “We start a new program at the county every other week. Meanwhile, we have severe infrastructure needs that are going unmet.”

Throughout the dialogue, Ramsey made a case for practical, community-driven partnerships. He shared how he offered to split costs with the City of Houston to repair Campbell Road after receiving a resident complaint. “That’s how government should work. Someone’s truck is getting damaged? Fix the road,” he said. “It’s not about ideology — it’s about results.”

In healthcare, he advocated for collaborating with existing clinics and nonprofits rather than building new brick-and-mortar facilities in under-resourced areas. “Our nonprofit partners can do so much more if we empower them,” he added.

Ramsey also touched on mental health, describing the county jail as “the largest mental health institution in the world.” He argued for investing in a state-of-the-art mental health facility, which he believes would not only serve vulnerable populations better but also reduce pressure on the jail system.

Public safety emerged as another central theme. Ramsey explained his motion — recently passed at Commissioner’s Court — to raise pay for sheriff’s deputies and constables to match Houston Police Department salaries. “If we hadn’t, we’d have 1,200 vacancies in the county next year,” he warned.

He cited statistics showing that the unincorporated areas of Harris County are five times safer than some city neighborhoods and questioned why infrastructure and law enforcement resources are unevenly distributed across communities like Acres Homes, Sunnyside, and Barrett Station — an area he called “the most historic Black neighborhood in the county.”

In one of the event’s most moving moments, IACCGH’s Bobby Singh invited the Commissioner to reflect on the role his faith plays in his work. Ramsey, the son of a pastor and a deacon at Second Baptist Church, spoke from the heart:

“It would be hypocritical for me to say one thing on Sunday and do another the rest of the week. Whatever consistency is — it’s just a better way to live.”

He closed his remarks with a nod to history, recalling how the Roman Empire endured partly due to a relentless focus on infrastructure. “When you lose sight of the basics,” he said, “it doesn’t matter how much funding you have—eventually, people and businesses will suffer.”

As the room cleared, the lingering takeaway was not just about roads, flood maps, or budgets. It was about leadership rooted in values, partnerships that matter, and a community committed to showing up — together — for the region’s future.

 

Photo Credit: Bijay Dixit , Unique Photo Images