ROSENBERG, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Former Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert was remembered Wednesday not only for the county he helped build, but for a style of public service in which political disagreement did not have to become personal and governing still required people with different views to work together.
Friends, family members and public officials gathered at the Fort Bend County Epicenter in Rosenberg to honor Hebert, who died Aug. 6 at age 84. He served 16 years as county judge, from 2003 through 2018, guiding Fort Bend through rapid growth, major infrastructure expansion and hurricanes Ike and Harvey.
Fort Bend County Commissioner Vincent Morales remembered Hebert as something more than a successful politician.
“He was a statesman,” Morales told the audience of several hundred people.
“A politician can win an election. A statesman understands what the office is for. A statesman knows when to listen, when to lead, and when to make the difficult decision even when the easy decision might be more popular.”
Morales said Hebert “carried himself with dignity and treated people with respect.”
“He could be firm without being cruel, decisive without being reckless, and confident without making everything about himself,” Morales said.
A room that looked like Fort Bend County
One of the most telling moments came when Morales asked everyone who had worked for Fort Bend County during Hebert's tenure to stand.
“What I love about looking around this room is that it looks like Fort Bend County,” Morales said. “Different backgrounds. Different communities. Different politics.”
“Some of us have agreed over the years. Some of us certainly have not. But we are one Fort Bend family.”
Morales said Hebert understood that public service extended beyond party affiliation.
“Judge Hebert knew that when the storm came, nobody asks what political party you belong to,” Morales said. “When a family needs help, nobody asks how they vote. And when you take an oath to serve this county, you serve all of it.”
Public service before politics
Morales' relationship with Hebert stretched from business and community life into elected office. Hebert, a former Rosenberg city manager, administered the oath when Morales became mayor and later encouraged him to run for county commissioner.
Morales said Hebert encouraged and mentored people throughout the county while expecting “competence, preparation and integrity.”
“Public service was not about you,” Morales said. “It was about the people you had been entrusted to serve.”
Hebert's own comments after losing reelection in 2018 reflected that philosophy. He told Community Impact that voters had the ability to remove elected officials when they wanted change, joking that after winning four elections, on his fifth try he was one of the “rascals that got thrown out.”
But Hebert also made clear that he wanted his Democratic successor, KP George, to succeed because the county would suffer if he did not. His advice was to work with commissioners before votes, respect their responsibility to represent their precincts and avoid surprising them. He noted that for most of his tenure, Commissioners Court included two Democrats and two Republicans, “but we all worked together.”
The years since have brought a far more turbulent period in Fort Bend County politics. George, elected twice as a Democrat, switched to the Republican Party in 2025 but finished last in the 2026 Republican primary for county judge with about 8% of the vote. Later that month, he was convicted on two felony money-laundering counts involving campaign funds and was subsequently suspended and removed from office.
Political friction had surfaced well before George left office, including disputes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morales recalled that during some of the most frightening and uncertain days of the crisis, “I cannot tell you how many times I wished Bob Hebert were still sitting in that Judge's chair.” He said it was not because Hebert would have claimed to have every answer, but because he trusted how Hebert would approach the problem.
The political struggle did not end with George's departure. Commissioners Dexter McCoy and Grady Prestage have stayed away from Commissioners Court meetings while demanding that County Judge Daniel Wong step aside during critical budget and tax-rate votes. Their absence has left the court without the four members required to adopt the county's tax rate, putting employee raises, infrastructure projects and the county's finances at risk.
Against that backdrop, Commissioner Andy Meyers' description of the Hebert years was particularly pointed.
“Bob led Commissioners Court during a time when respect, civility and collaboration were hallmarks of county government,” Meyers said. “While we did not always agree on every issue, Bob fostered an environment where people could work through their differences with professionalism and a shared commitment to serving the public.”
Meyers served alongside Hebert throughout his entire 16 years as county judge. His comments came in a prepared statement released before Wednesday's event, which Meyers also attended.
The Hebert Family
The cover of the memorial program distributed Wednesday as family, friends and public officials gathered at the Fort Bend County Epicenter to honor former County Judge Bob Hebert.
Leading a rapidly changing county
Hebert took office in 2003 as Fort Bend's rapid growth brought increasing demands for roads, courts, law enforcement and other public services.
“Government had to grow up with the county,” Morales said. “It had to become more professional. It had to plan, build and prepare for what was coming next.”
Hebert's tenure included construction of the Fort Bend County Justice Center and restoration of the historic 1907 courthouse in Richmond. Meyers also credited Hebert with supporting the Fort Bend County Historical Commission and preserving the county's history.
Some of Hebert's greatest tests came during disasters. He led the county through Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when flooding threatened communities across Fort Bend.
“He listened to experts. He demanded information. He surrounded himself with capable people. And when the moment required it, he made the decision,” Morales said. His assessment was emphatic: “Bob Hebert saved lives as our County Judge.”
Service did not end with elected office
Hebert's elected service ended after the 2018 election, but his public service did not. In 2019, he took what was initially expected to be a temporary leadership role at Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels and ultimately served as its executive director for four years.
“When Fort Bend Seniors needed leadership, Bob went to work,” Morales said. “When organizations needed counsel, Bob offered it. When this community needed him, he remained present. And when an old colleague needed advice, Bob answered the phone.”
By the end of Wednesday's gathering, the legacy being described was not simply one of buildings, budgets or disaster response. It was also about how Hebert governed and how he treated people while doing it.
“Bob Hebert was a statesman,” Morales said. “He was a true Texas gentleman. He was a leader in the best sense of the word.”
For Morales and others who served alongside him, however, there was a simpler title.
“He was our Judge.”
Covering Katy News owner and author of this article, Dennis Spellman, is employed by the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner’s Office. This relationship is disclosed in the interest of transparency. Covering Katy News maintains complete independent editorial control over its reporting.
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