Tag Archives: John Whitmire

On HPD and overtime

Lots to think about here. Houston senior police officer Matthew Davis’ annual salary was about $90,000 this past fiscal year. He made nearly $170,000 more in overtime. It was not an anomaly. Davis has collected more in overtime than his … Continue reading

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Three perspectives on scooters

The Chron editorial board calls for regulation over a ban. We’re feeling a bit of whiplash. For a city that has for decades been desperate to get people out of their cars and into central neighborhoods, our leaders seem all … Continue reading

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Mayor’s anti-bike obsession claims another victim

Sorry, Telephone Road. You should have thought about the possibility of the next Mayor being a bike hater when you began this work five years ago. The Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority has tapped the brakes on approving a scaled-back $12 million … Continue reading

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On Ed Pollard’s campaign cash

It’s a lot, as we have previously noted. It isn’t even close to the time potential candidates will start announcing their intention to run for Houston mayor in 2027. But if campaign finance reports are any indicator, Council Member Edward … Continue reading

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July 2025 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

PREVOIUSLY: Harris County Senate and Congress When I did the January roundup for the city of Houston, I didn’t expect there to be much activity of interest in July, given that the next regularly scheduled election for the city is … Continue reading

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Council to consider scooter ban

I’m not a fan. Houston may soon join a growing number of major U.S. cities that have banned electric scooters, citing increasing safety risks to pedestrians and riders. A proposal to prohibit electric scooter use in downtown, Midtown, and East … Continue reading

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Still more microtransit

Now in the Near Northside. METRO’s free, on-demand electric shuttle service has expanded to Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood, with service there launching Monday. The “Community Connector” initiative launched as a pilot program in the Third Ward in 2023. It has … Continue reading

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Houston First does its own Polk Street study

Everything will be fine, don’t worry about it. As Houston residents continue to push for Polk Street to remain open through the planned $2 billion George R. Brown Convention Center expansion, Houston First has released a traffic study it says … Continue reading

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The Montrose texts

A look behind the curtain at what was happening with the Montrose TIRZ as the original plan for redoing Montrose Blvd got significantly changed by Mayor Whitmire. For over a year, Montrose residents have fiercely debated redesign plans for their namesake boulevard, … Continue reading

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Yes, make the Mayor report on cancelled projects

I support this plan. As Houston City Council prepares to vote on a whopping $16.7 billion plan for city projects over the next five years, one council member is proposing a greater level of transparency from Mayor John Whitmire when … Continue reading

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Recall Houston sets a petition timeline

Okay. The group aiming to oust Mayor John Whitmire has set a timeline for its efforts to petition for a recall election. Recall For Houston announced it is eyeing to begin collecting signatures in the fall. In the meantime, the … Continue reading

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Whitmire’s budget passes

On to the next thing. The City Council approved Mayor John Whitmire’s nearly $7 billion budget on Wednesday after months of strenuous efforts to cut costs and streamline services as officials contended with the largest deficit in Houston’s history. The … Continue reading

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Why are we messing with pension reform?

I do not understand this. The Texas Legislature, with Mayor John Whitmire’s support, is on the cusp of rolling back reforms to Houston’s police and firefighter pensions, worrying experts who call the changes premature, ill-considered, even “stupid.” The proposal comes … Continue reading

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Judge approves the Whitmire drainage settlement deal

Okay then. A Harris County District Court judge on Friday approved Mayor John Whitmire’s settlement agreement with plaintiffs to phase in payments to the city’s drainage fund, his office said. The final confirmation comes after more than a month of tension among … Continue reading

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The death of bad bills is always worth celebrating

Good, good, good. A handful of bills that would have stopped local governments from enacting their transportation priorities and hamstrung local transit efforts are likely dead. The measures failed to pass before key deadlines as the legislative session draws to … Continue reading

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Storm recovery group challenges Whitmire’s drainage deal

Plot twist coming, maybe. I’m skipping the first part of this story in which we rehash the 2010 ReNew Houston vote, the ways that Houston made use of the drainage fee revenue that were later challenged in court, the court … Continue reading

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Controller Hollins has some questions about the budget

This hit my inbox on Tuesday evening, so I didn’t see it in time to queue something up for yesterday. Ahead of Wednesday’s City Council vote on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, City Controller Chris Hollins has released a … Continue reading

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Fair for Houston makes good on its warning

They did warn us. Lawyers for advocacy group Fair for Houston have filed an injunction against Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council after urging the city to comply with a local law to give the city more representation … Continue reading

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Hollins wants a final ruling on the drainage deal before he’ll certify the budget

Okay. Controller Chris Hollins said he won’t certify Mayor John Whitmire’s 2026 budget until the court makes a decision on the city’s payment agreement with the plaintiffs in a years-long streets and drainage lawsuit, Hollins told the Houston Chronicle following a budget trends report Tuesday. Whitmire earlier … Continue reading

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Mayor Whitmire releases his 2026 budget

I’m still trying to figure this out. Mayor John Whitmire proposed a $7 billion budget Tuesday for fiscal year 2026, closing a projected $220 million deficit without implementing new fees or taxes for residents. The proposal pulls $3.03 billion from Houston’s general fund, … Continue reading

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Who’s really using Polk Street?

The people who would be most affected by a proposed street closure are trying to quantify the effect of said closure. Armed with clipboards, pencils and determination, a group of volunteers gathered early Wednesday morning at intersections around the George … Continue reading

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Here’s the Mayor’s deal with HPD

Can’t wait to see what the budget looks like, because I have no idea how this is all going to work. Houston police officers will receive “the best (benefits) package in anyone’s memory,” Mayor John Whitmire said Friday, but how … Continue reading

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One more thing about microtransit in the Heights

This is from the latest edition of the Woodland Heights Civic Association newsletter, which I got in my inbox late on Friday. METRO recently announced a new micro-transit service (in partnership with the City of Houston and Evolve Houston) to provide an … Continue reading

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How much does Houston want to piss off its neighbors?

This is me, shaking my head. A proposal to cut Houston in on revenue generated through the county’s toll roads is threatening the city’s relationship with county officials and neighboring jurisdictions. The legislation making its way through both the Texas House … Continue reading

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What is this microtransit for, anyway?

Since I first blogged about the arrival of those Evolve Houston microtransit shuttles in the Heights a week or so ago, I have seen one of those shuttles three times. The first time it was in motion and presumably in … Continue reading

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Fair for Houston sends a warning

They’ve been more than patient. A Houston advocacy group warned Mayor John Whitmire and council members Thursday that the city is risking a lawsuit if it continues to ignore the will of voters by participating on a regional planning board … Continue reading

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CityCast Houston talks to Recall Houston

We’ve talked before about Recall Houston and how that effort may play out, given the many obstacles that any such effort faces. I’ve been very curious to learn more about who is behind this effort and where they believe they … Continue reading

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Let’s hear it for the pro-11th Street people

Get out of your bubble, Mr. Mayor. Small business owners, community advocates and residents are rallying together to fight against Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s proposal to reverse 11th Street’s 2023 redesign. The coalition sent a letter last week—authored by Gerald Fuentes, an organizer of the … Continue reading

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Houston can defer the drainage settlement spending

Can successfully kicked down the road. Mayor John Whitmire and plaintiffs in Houston’s drainage lawsuit have reached a deal on how the city will fund future street and drainage projects, slashing a third of its $330 million budget deficit. The … Continue reading

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Microtransit comes to the Heights

Whoopie. Houston transit officials on Monday said on-demand microtransit would expand to provide rides in the Heights. Metro, with the city of Houston and Evolve Houston, expanded the Community Connector service, which has been serving downtown Houston, Second Ward and … Continue reading

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Taking from Harris to give to Houston

This story from Tuesday perplexed me a little at first. Harris County would have to turn over tens of millions in toll road dollars to the city of Houston for use on public safety and emergency services under a bill … Continue reading

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Taking the package

The city’s workforce is voluntarily shrinking. More than 700 city of Houston employees are set to retire May 1 after accepting voluntary buyouts, city officials said Thursday. Many of the positions will have to be backfilled, but Whitmire administration officials … Continue reading

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A brief reminder about the possible recall effort

Whatever you or I may think, Mayor Whitmire is not unpopular. A recent survey from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs found that while most Houstonians believe both the city and country are going in the wrong … Continue reading

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Can we make HPD more efficient?

You’d think that would be a thing we’d all want. Mayor John Whitmire has made clear he intends to boost salaries and benefits for Houston police officers in their new union contract, but those increases will not be tied to … Continue reading

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