District B Council member Tarsha Jackson has her hands full with the issues her constituents face. At her first 2025 town hall meeting, Jackson strategized with community leaders, city agencies and other elected officials to address high water bills, illegal dumping, poverty, waste management and crime in the district.
Workforce development, public safety, capacity building for nonprofits, improving the quality of life and economic development are also on her to-do list.
Re-elected to a new term expiring in January 2028, Jackson was appointed by Mayor John Whitmire as the chair of the newly formed Service Delivery Committee and the vice chair of the Public Safety Committee.
Representing neighborhoods like Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, East Houston, Pleasantville, Settegast and Acres Homes, she is pushing for flood mitigation funding, stating, “We are sick and tired of our neighborhood flooding every time it rains.”
Jackson touted her achievements in neighborhood improvements, park revitalization, hosting job fairs and know-your-rights workshops and funding afterschool programs while advocating for infrastructure improvements like drainage and sidewalks. She also helped secure federal funding for neglected neighborhoods in Gulfton and Kashmere Gardens communities, fast-tracked library repairs and supported airport and public works projects through the Capital Improvement Plan.
Jackson’s District B strategies
Jackson said she plans to tackle the district’s priorities through strategies that address the root causes of the issues.
Workforce Development:
Jackson said she will focus on workforce development through the Be Successful program to address District B’s poverty problem and to create job opportunities for youth and formerly incarcerated individuals. She will also hopes to attract new companies and push for hiring people with criminal records.
Grocery Stores:
Jackson explored turning the former KMart shopping center into a grocery store and clinic. Her economic development committee has finalized an implementation plan to advocate for grocery store funding at the state and federal levels. Crime, however, remains a barrier.
“So now we are looking at other privately-owned stores that probably would set up in our neighborhoods…and incentives to give to these owners that have been in our neighborhoods for decades,” Jackson said.
Crime & Public Safety:
Jackson believes addressing poverty is key to reducing crime. She plans to use district funds to support nonprofits providing jobs and training for young people.
Illegal Dumping & Trash Pickup:
The district spends $200,000 annually on Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) units to clean illegal dumping sites. Jackson urges residents to report problem areas to speed up cleanups.
Infrastructure Development:
Jackson allocates half of the district’s $1 million annual budget to METRO projects like speed bumps and traffic improvements. She also provides grants to civic clubs and neighborhood organizations for community projects.
Town hall comments: residents and city department heads weigh in
Residents
Reedy Hayworth
“We are the most vulnerable,” she said, urging officials to remove barriers preventing seniors from accessing assistance.
Fifth Ward seniors said they want safer neighborhoods and better access to quality grocery stores. Many struggle with unaffordable corner stores and poor produce options. They also called for improved responses to home repairs, illegal dumping and stray animals.
Janet Massey
“They think we’re all low-income or on drugs,” she said, adding negative stereotypes contribute to a lack of resources.
John Sloan
“My problems tend to be those things that truly deal with the quality of life over here. I’ve lived in the neighborhood since 1995, and all that I’m asking for is that you keep the street lights on, cut the trees,” he said.
Sloan, a resident since 1965, added Black and brown neighborhoods do not receive the same treatment as their more affluent counterparts.
City department heads
Ryan Watson, Captain of the Houston Police Department North Patrol Division
“HPD is doing everything that they possibly can, putting people in jail and bad actors that are causing the crime and problem in your neighborhoods…the drug dealers, the armed robbers,” he said.
Understaffed, Watson called for people to apply for jobs at HPD and for residents to become “ambassadors and advocates in the community,” adding that flock cameras are also helping HPD solve crimes by scanning licenses to crack cases taking place across the city.
Watson admits that illegal dumping cases can be solved faster if residents come forward to file complaints the department could use in court. He added that HPD is partnering with the Solid Waste department to use flock cameras to identify vehicles dumping debris in known locations.
Lee Turner, Houston Public Works representative
“You have to be very proactive when there’s a leak at your property,” he said. Turner suggested that residents can visit www.houstonwater.org and fill out the universal adjustment form, which has all three adjustments, or call (713) 371-1400 for assistance.
Brian Wright, Department of Neighborhoods Inspections and Public Service Division representative
Referring to derelict buildings, Wright said, “We’re on it, we’re not ignoring it. You may not see a lot of movement at the property, but there are things that are happening with that property that are not apparent to the public until we actually come out there with something to demolish it.”
Residents said drug abuse is rampant in the abandoned buildings within the area. Wright suggested reporting such incidents to 311 and following up with the service request number.
