As Houston enters a pivotal year marked by rapid growth, looming budget challenges, and global attention from the FIFA World Cup, Mayor John Whitmire said the city is “moving in the right direction” in his State of the City address.
“Houston is a strong city, and it’s getting stronger every day because we’re working together in collaboration,” Whitmire said, touting bringing his 40-year career at the Texas legislature to Houston.
During the address, Whitmire touched on merging two Martin Luther King Jr. Day parades as an accomplishment, despite being warned not to merge them, he said.
“Who thought we could ever combine the two Martin Luther King parades? Other white mayors have tried. Black mayors couldn’t get it done. The neat thing is…I just want to get things done. I’m not even worried
Houston Mayor John Whitmire
about the next election.”
“Who thought we could ever combine the two Martin Luther King parades?” Whitmire said. “Other white mayors have tried. Black mayors couldn’t get it done. The neat thing is…I just want to get things done. I’m not even worried about the next election.”
To accomplish the parade merge, Whitmire called stakeholders and sponsors, arguing that there cannot be two parades, one in Downtown and one in Midtown at the same time, as it “made no sense.”
“The African American community is so excited because I’ve merged those institutions,” he said in his address.
The state of Black Houston: Gentrification, housing, immigration
For Black Houstonians, a community that makes up 21.7% of the city’s population, the more pressing question remains: Are Black Houstonians benefiting from those collaborations?
In an effort to learn more about the mayor’s plans for the Black community, the Defender asked the mayor about gentrification and immigration during a press conference following the address.
When asked about gentrification in Black-majority neighborhoods, including Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Independence Heights, and Sunnyside, Whitmire acknowledged it as “obviously a concern across Houston” and specifically within the African American community.
“There’s been a lot of mobility, and it’s a fact of life,” Whitmire told the Defender. “Affordability…we’ve got to address that. We want people to be able to stay in their homes, in our communities. But if you go into the communities that you’re concerned about, that I’m concerned about, there is still a very strong, diverse group of residents.”
He attributed gentrification issues to “conflicts of interest,” citing 400 lots owned by Midtown TIRZ, valued at $50 million, and suggesting that city oversight and conflict-of-interest reforms could shape redevelopment decisions.
The Defender also asked about what he wants immigrant communities to know. Whitmire said the Houston Police Department does not ask for immigration status.
“There’s a reason why we haven’t been on the national news because we’re doing things right,” Whitmire said. “Half of the department is Hispanic, but it’s not just the Hispanics…HPD wants you to be safe. They’re only concerned about guns and drugs.”
As Houston gears up for the FIFA World Cup this year, which has raised concerns, Whitmire pledged that Houstonians should be treated “like they’re our World Cup visitors as well.”
Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, who attended the address, offered a broader perspective on the issues impacting Black Houstonians.
“Blacks in the city of Houston are continually looking for economic opportunities,” she said. “We are looking for chances to pull each other together and rise together. I’m honored to be a policymaker in the city of Houston, but while I sit on the Houston City Council, I know that it is important that we continue to create economic opportunities for people in the Black community.”
Castex-Tatum emphasized certification through the city’s Office of Business Opportunity as a pathway to close economic gaps.
Other issues: Economic development, infrastructure, public safety
Houston’s economic engine is accelerating.
President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, Steve Kean, said companies are choosing Houston to expand and establish headquarters, including Devon Energy, Houston’s 27th Fortune 500 company, Fervo Energy, and Tesla.
“Houston is helping to build the infrastructure behind AI, data centers, power equipment, and the technologies that are saving the future, creating construction jobs, manufacturing jobs, and long-term opportunities,” Kean said. “Houston is winning.”
The metro also added 200,000 residents in 2024 and saw GDP grow to $700 billion after a 25% increase from 2021 to 2023, Kean added.
“We’re the youngest major metro in the United States, reflecting an adverse workforce that’s built for the long term,” he said. “Our economy also reflects this momentum.”
Whitmire said the city is “moving in the right direction” and added that he is prepared to give six years, “the remaining best years” of his life for Houston, working “18-hour days with a team that is the best in America.”
While a $120 million budget deficit looms, he announced that the city will not see a property tax increase in the upcoming June budget season. In his two years in office, Whitmire has not advocated for such a tax hike.
“We’re going to look for efficiency, collaboration, and eliminate corruption, conflicts of interest. It can be done, and it will be done…These taxes impact affordability,” he said.
Pointing to his predecessors’ “years of neglect” and “1,900 broken water mains,” Whitmire said he aims to confront these challenges directly and laid out plans for the future.
This year, the administration plans to pave 1,000 road miles and spend $500 million on road improvements, while replacing 200 miles of water pipes and channeling water from the Barker Reservoir through the Houston Ship Channel.
Whitmire also aspires to establish a METRO light rail line to George Bush Intercontinental Airport and a water taxi service on Buffalo Bayou.
Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First, also emphasized a $2 billion transformation of the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The East Water Purification Plant, which furnishes 60% of Houston’s water and was built in 1954, is also slated for upgrades after receiving $966 million from the Texas Water Development Board.
“This is a good time for me to go ahead and talk about working across the aisle,” Whitmire said. “I had a reputation in Austin of getting things done by not making it personal…you don’t have to be disagreeable, because if somebody wants to work with me to fix and improve Houston. I will go anywhere, anytime. We don’t have time for politics. I want to get things done, and we’re getting money.”
When it comes to public safety, “If we’re not safe, nothing else matters,” Whitmire said. He highlighted 746 new police graduations since taking office and reaching an $832 million deal with the police union last year. The department now has 5,400 officers and 892 civilian support personnel.
