Tag Archives: Houston City Council

Interview with Anthony Freddie

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the special election to succeed the late Council Member Larry Green in District K is on May 5. Early voting for this election begins April 23, which is to say two weeks from now. In those two … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council approves new floodplain regulations

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. Starting this fall, all new homes built in Houston’s floodplains must be elevated higher off the ground after a contentious debate and narrow vote by City Council on Wednesday to adopt the Bayou City’s first … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The field is set in District K

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the District K special election webpage, and now that the filing deadline has passed and the list of candidates has been updated, here are your contenders for this seat: Candidate Contact Information in alphabetical order Larry Blackmon | 6167 Ludington, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

District K special election update

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Durrel Douglas: In a late night Facebook Live video, prominent Houston activist Ashton P. Woods bowed out of the race to replace former City Councilman Larry Green who passed unexpectedly in early March. Woods says he will back a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

January 2018 finance reports: City of Houston

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We didn’t have any city of Houston elections in 2017, and while we ought to have some charter amendments on the ballot in 2018 we won’t be voting for people till next year. Still, everyone has to file campaign finance … Continue reading →

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What are the elections of interest this May?

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a question I’m asking as well as one I’m trying to answer. Normally, there are no elections in May of any kind of year for Houston folks, though there are some for parts of Harris County and surrounding areas. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Special election set for District K

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. Voters in southwest Houston will select a replacement for the late City Councilman Larry Green in a May 5 special election, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday. Green, who was found dead at his home Tuesday morning, remains … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RIP, CM Larry Green

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Very sad news. Houston City Councilman Larry Green was found dead at his home late Tuesday morning, prompting an outpouring of sadness from City Hall to the southwest Houston district he represented for more than six years. The cause of … Continue reading →

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The latest report on city finances

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A little light reading for you. Even after Mayor Sylvester Turner’s landmark pension reforms, the city of Houston is on pace to spend $1 billion more than it will take in over the coming decade, and must cut spending and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

SaberCats Stadium

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Houston’s new pro rugby team will soon have a home. The city’s burgeoning rugby community is poised to have a new home after City Council inked a $3.2 million deal Wednesday that paves the way for the Houston SaberCats to … Continue reading →

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Mayor proposes new floodplain development rules

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good idea. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday proposed tightening development rules to strengthen Houston’s defenses against flooding, the city’s first concrete step to change building practices since Hurricane Harvey inundated hundreds of thousands of homes last August. Turner’s proposed changes … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council approves new recycling deal

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Huzzah! Houston residents are set to have their used glass and plastic bags picked up for recycling at curbside, but not until next year. The 20-year, $37 million agreement City Council approved Wednesday is the product of two years of wrangling over recycling and … Continue reading →

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And then there were nine

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

One Democratic gubernatorial hopeful is now off the ballot. Demetria Smith, a Democrat who had hoped to challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2018 gubernatorial race, has been determined ineligible to run. Smith, who attended a San Angelo forum … Continue reading →

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Looking ahead to 2019

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, yes, I know. We’ve barely begun the 2018 cycle. Who in their right mind is thinking about 2019? I plead guilty to political insanity, but the beginning of the year is always the best time to look forward, and … Continue reading →

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The elections we may get in 2018

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We know there are going to be a lot of contested elections up and down the ballot in 2018, both primaries and the November general, for state, county, and federal office. There are also at least four possible elections I … Continue reading →

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Recycling deal held up again

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll take Unexpected Effects of Hurricane Harvey for $200, Alex. A 20-year, $37 million recycling deal for Houston is in limbo after City Controller Chris Brown said his office was not prepared to sign off on the proposal, citing concerns … Continue reading →

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RIP, Peter Brown

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A dedicated public servant and a heck of a nice guy. Former Houston city councilman, mayoral candidate and civic leader Peter Brown has died, his family said Tuesday. Brown, an architect and urban planner, was 81. “A loving father, committed … Continue reading →

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Is this development really necessary?

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, the optics of this sure are lousy. The Houston City Council has indefinitely postponed a proposal to build hundreds of homes in a west Houston floodplain amid questions about whether city leaders’ actions would match their rhetoric about mitigating … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

City buys out some flooded homes

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Expect to see more of this. Houston City Council on Wednesday approved funding nearly 60 home buyouts across three flood-prone neighborhoods, the first such step from City Hall in recent memory. The city typically leaves buyouts to the Harris County … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HISD races

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not much, but it is what it is. As Houston ISD faces a possible state takeover, a $106 million budget shortfall and millions of dollars in needed repairs from Hurricane Harvey, six of its board’s nine seats are up … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council passes dumb forced tax cut

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is where we are. City Council rejected Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposal to leave Houston’s tax rate unchanged from last year Wednesday, instead approving a tiny rate cut to comply with the voter-imposed cap on property tax revenues. Turner had … Continue reading →

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Another property tax rate dustup

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this: Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to ask city council on Wednesday to sidestep the voter-imposed revenue cap by approving the same property tax rate as last year. According to City Controller Chris Brown, … Continue reading →

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An unsatisfying attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So as we all know, this in an unprecedented election, as there are no city races on the ballot. This has everyone wondering about turnout, because the usual drivers of turnout are a Mayor’s race and/or a big referendum, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The fire department’s needs

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a conversation we need to have, but it’s one we need to dig into and work all the way through. Fire Chief Sam Pena gave City Council a bleak assessment Tuesday of his department’s readiness to respond to … Continue reading →

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HFD and disaster preparedness

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot here to think about, and to do something about. The Houston Fire Department’s limitations quickly became clear as Harvey’s floodwaters rose. Just one high-water rescue vehicle. Decades-old evacuation boats. Sparse training for swift-water rescues. And limited staffing … Continue reading →

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You don’t have to attend those tax rate hearings now

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They’re not a thing any more. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday said he would withdraw a proposed property tax rate hike after Gov. Greg Abbott handed him a check for $50 million to help fund the city’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. That also … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner lowers tax rate hike amount

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure we’re all glad to see this. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said the temporary property tax rate hike he has proposed would be cut in half after federal officials approved his request to increase reimbursement for the city’s … Continue reading →

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Council to hold hearings on proposed tax rate increase

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance to be heard. Houston City Council set the ball rolling Wednesday on Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed 8.9 percent tax rate hike to help fund Houston’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey, in what would be the first hike from … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Mayor seeks one-year tax hike for Harvey cleanup

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This stuff isn’t going to pay for itself, you know. Mayor Sylvester Turner will ask City Council to approve an 8.9 percent hike in the city’s tax rate this fall to help Houston recover from Tropical Storm Harvey, in what … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Federal court bars enforcement if city’s ban on homeless encampments

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Score one for the law’s opponents. A federal court on Tuesday temporarily blocked Houston from enforcing its fledgling ban on public encampments, dealing a blow to city efforts to manage escalating tensions between homeless people and the neighborhoods their camps … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bond issue set for November

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Should be pretty straightforward, though I suppose you never know. November’s ballot will feature $495 million in public improvement bonds after City Council agreed Wednesday to send the package to Houston voters. The general bonds, which would not require a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor Turner requests study of Confederate statues

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox. Mayor Sylvester Turner has asked top staff members to study whether statues related to the Confederacy should be removed from city property. The mayor commented about the statues Tuesday at a City Council meeting after members of … Continue reading →

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EcoHub sues over OneBin failure

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

All right. Continuing the saga that has unfolded at City Hall — in which City Council members have said a deal with one company “smelled,” and in which another company, EcoHub, claims Mayor Sylvester Turner snubbed him out of the … Continue reading →

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July 2017 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s continue our survey of campaign finance reports with reports from the city of Houston. Name Raised Spent Loans On Hand ================================================ Turner 520,430 138,068 0 1,643,519 Stardig 59,470 36,402 0 102,289 Davis 5,500 13,231 0 147,050 Cohen 5,000 8,382 … Continue reading →

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