Tag Archives: Houston City Council

What the passage of the term limits referendum means

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a little unclear from this story. The passage of Proposition 2 also means some current officeholders will be able to serve longer than the six years they originally signed up for. Current freshman council members will now be able … Continue reading →

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Omnibus election results post

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to take the easy way out here, because it’s been a long day/week/month and I’m hoping to get some sleep tonight, and just hit the highlights. There will be plenty of time for deeper analysis later, and of … Continue reading →

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Day 12 EV 2015 totals: Final turnout projections

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The last day was another big one: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ======================================= 2015 164,104 29,859 193,963 43,280 2013 87,944 21,426 109,370 30,572 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full … Continue reading →

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Back to square one for ReBuild Houston

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. A state district judge on Thursday voided the 2010 charter referendum that enabled the city to create the ReBuild Houston program, muddying the fate of the multi-billion-dollar funding scheme to dramatically improve Houston’s streets and drainage. … Continue reading →

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8 day finance reports: Controller candidates

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How about a look at the 8 day finance reports for Controller candidates? I figure if you’re reading this blog you won’t look at me funny when I say things like that, so here we go: Candidate Raised Spent Loans … Continue reading →

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Day 8 EV 2015 totals: Breaking it down to districts

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Day One of Week Two: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 73,903 23,560 97,553 43,279 2013 45,571 16,076 61,647 30,548 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full 2009 totals … Continue reading →

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My sense of where things stand right now

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an aggregation of the polls we’ve seen so far: Candidate HAR HRBC KHOU KPRC Avg ======================================== Turner 19 24 19 20 20.50 Garcia 19 14 9 13 13.75 King 10 18 9 14 12.75 Bell 10 11 6 12 … Continue reading →

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Chron race overview: District G

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Only two open district Council seats this cycle, and the open District G race has only two candidates. Sandie Mullins Moger and Greg Travis, candidates for Houston City Council District G, have similar objectives in their bids to represent the … Continue reading →

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30 day finance reports, citywide races

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a brief summary of the 30 Day campaign finance reports that I’ve been able to find, some of which are on this page and some of which are findable via the normal campaign finance report website, and all of … Continue reading →

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Chron race overview: District H

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A look at the race in District H, to succeed the term-limited CM Ed Gonzalez. Roland Chavez views city leadership from a labor management perspective with an eye to curbing overtime and ensuring retirement benefits for city workers. He retired … Continue reading →

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Chron race overview: At Large #1

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron overview of the race to succeed term limited Council Member (now Mayoral candidate) Steve Costello in At Large #1. M. “Griff” Griffin A perennial candidate in Houston politics, Griffin is running for the council for the 11th … Continue reading →

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Chron race overview: At Large #4

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

With all of the Mayoral profiles done (*), the Chron turns its attention to the other open seat races. Here’s their profile of At Large #4. Laurie Robinson kicked off her campaign in December 2014, almost a year before Election … Continue reading →

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Defining HPD body camera policies

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still a work in progress. Houston Police Department officers would activate body cameras when arriving at a crime scene, initiating a traffic stop and during an arrest or search, according to a long awaited proposal outlining use of the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Gallegos in I

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Robert Gallegos for re-election in District I. Two years ago we wrote that District I was the face of Houston’s future, filled with key landmarks, booming growth and changing neighborhoods. During his first term on City … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Ellen

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Ellen Cohen for a third term. District council members don’t usually make national headlines, but last summer Councilwoman Ellen Cohen got her 15 minutes of fame while questioning Pastor Betty Riggle’s opposition to Houston’s equal rights … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The way in J

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Mike Laster for re-election in District J. This district has a deep need for important constituent services, and Laster has dedicated his office to providing them. From working with the Urban Land Institute on redesigning Richmond … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 4

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the last installment of the Chron/Al Jazeera analysis of how Uber is operating in Houston. Most of the story is about what parts of town have better service from Uber – short answer, inside the Loop – and how … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: A bad call

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry, I don’t get this at all. The race for the At-Large 4 City Council seat offers two of the most capable candidates running this fall. Amanda Edwards, a municipal finance attorney with Bracewell & Guiliani, and Laurie Robinson, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Youth wins out

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Philippe Nassif in At Large #5. You have to say this about City Councilmember Jack Christie: He’s a conscientious public servant. Holding the At-Large 5 seat, the two-term incumbent is, in his words, “a workhorse, not a … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Jerry

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes another easy call by endorsing CM Jerry Davis for a third term in District B. In this race Davis is the only candidate who understands how the system functions and how a council member can pull the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Stardig

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m too lazy to think of a clever title for this one. Brenda Stardig is on the verge of completing her nonconsecutive second term as district councilwoman, and she has earned a third. Stardig, 53, came into office with a … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Let’s continue a success story

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Richard Nguyen, first term Council Member whose win was a surprise in 2013 and whose service on Council has been easily deserving of a second term. A political neophyte when he stepped into office two years … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: A close choice

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Greg Travis in a close call in District G. Attorney Greg Travis, 52, is going head-to-head against media consultant and current Houston Community College Trustee Sandie Mullins Moger, 50. Each candidate brought an excellent resume and knowledge … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: In my neighborhood

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Karla Cisneros in District H, proving that while one can guess who they’ll endorse, one has no hope of guessing in what order they’ll print their endorsements. Karla Cisneros is the woman for the job. Cisneros, who … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HERO ain’t everything

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I predicted that the Chron would endorse CM Kubosh, so I can’t say that I’m surprised that they endorsed him. That said, their logic is always a sight to behold. At a City Hall filled with lawyers, urban planners and … Continue reading →

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JP Dale Gorczynski will not run for re-election

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not usually in the breaking news business around here, but today I have some: Judge Dale Gorcynski, who has served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1 since 1992, will not be running for re-election next year. I … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Seeing the big picture

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like the Chron is going through the At Large races first, which means we’re up to At Large #2, and a repeat endorsement of David Robinson. You might as well pull out the popcorn when City Hall gets to … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM David Robinson

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know I said before that I was done with Council interviews, but you know what? It’s my blog, and my prerogative to change my mind. Honestly, I had always intended to schedule an interview with first term Council Member … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Off to a good start, predictions-wise

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

First Chron endorsement of the season, and it’s one I called. When government is broken, who do you hire to fix it? For the Harris County Housing Authority, the answer was Tom McCasland. Plenty of candidates can tout their ideas … Continue reading →

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Time to guess the Chronicle’s endorsements

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We are a bit more than a month out from the start of early voting, and as such we are getting close to the start of Chronicle endorsement season. I know from doing candidate interviews that the Chron has been … Continue reading →

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Bayou trails update

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Coming along nicely. Houston’s Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative will build 150 miles of hike and bike trails along the city’s nine waterways, a $220 million effort that Mayor Annise Parker says is “one of the most exciting things I’ve had … Continue reading →

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2015 candidates’ voting history

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Regular commenter Mainstream took the time to investigate and document the recent voting history of the candidates on the 2015 city of Houston ballot. Here it is, for your perusal. A couple of caveats: Data is for Harris County, with … Continue reading →

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Interview with Philippe Nassif

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up City Council interviews with At Large #5 challenger Philippe Nassif. Nassif is a first-generation American, the son of immigrants from Mexico and Lebanon. A founding member of New Leaders Council Houston and member of Leadership Houston, Nassif … Continue reading →

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The anti-HERO horde

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of them out there, though many of them claim their mostly last-minute filings didn’t really have to do with HERO. Members of the anti-HERO campaign and other prominent conservative activists disputed suggestions of a widely-coordinated effort, saying … Continue reading →

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