Public comment has historically been held on Tuesdays at 2pm, limiting the number of Houstonians who could show up during working hours. In July, the city council approved a pilot program to test evening meetings on Tuesdays. Unenthusiastic councilmembers complained about other evening engagements, traffic, and late nights before Wednesday meetings. Some even questioned whether the public wanted evening sessions, a concern that was later put to rest by enthusiastic engagement. On December 10, council voted to make the evening program permanent. Mario Castillo, the District H councilmember who originated the idea, reported that at evening meetings to date, an average of 80 people per meeting spoke—well above the typical attendance for daytime sessions. Moving forward, the last public comment meeting of every month will begin at 5pm. Hooray for the working stiffs!

After years of behind-the-scenes machinations, Councilmember Letitia Plummer finally got apartment inspection reform back on the council agenda in November. Her long-term project, which she argued would “protect tenants without raising rents,” was deferred for another month of work following extensive debate. On December 10, the reform item returned, with Plummer explaining that the proposed ordinance will create “high-risk designation, mandatory corrective timelines, documented repairs, follow-up inspections,” and “real tangible penalties for landlords who were repeatedly doing the wrong thing to our residents.” 

Plummer, who is stepping down from her At-Large Position 4 this month, was prepared to refer it back to the administration for further work at a joint Economic Development and Housing committee meeting, but conflict arose when she and fellow councilmember Abbie Kamin, of District C, pushed for a date by which it would return for a vote. Mayor John Whitmire remained vague on a date, noting that the council would get it done “as soon as possible,” and added that it was not “fair or proper” for them to tell “two experienced, committed council members how to run their committee.” 

A back-and-forth ensued, with the mayor accusing Plummer of being too “busy on the campaign trail” to work on the initiative. An aggrieved-sounding Plummer demanded an apology from the mayor. “Don’t be ugly,” she said.

The mayor refused to apologize, spoke over Plummer, and ultimately called for a vote on her motion to return the item 30 days after the committee meeting. The motion passed, with only councilmember Edward Pollard voting no, presumably in support of Plummer.

On December 17, the council debated using a drainage infrastructure fund to demolish abandoned and dilapidated buildings. Mayor Whitmire and Houston Public Works director Randy Macchi argued that using the stormwater fund is warranted because abandoned buildings attract illegal dumping, resulting in debris in drains and ditches. Controller Chris Hollins and many councilmembers disagreed. In a memo distributed to council ahead of the meeting, Hollins said: “This item misuses the Storm Water Fund and attempts to bypass the legally required oversight of the Controller’s Office.” 

The memo drew parallels to the years-long, costly, and recently resolved Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF) lawsuit, making many councilmembers gun-shy about potential misuse of funds. The DDSRF lawsuit lasted from 2019 through 2025, cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and ultimately resulted in a loss for the city, with the court ruling that Houston must add $100 million more annually to the DDSRF. Mayor Whitmire argued that the public would not question how the money is used. “They just want to get it done,” Whitmire said. “We’ve used this fund for this purpose before. The people I visit with are not going to ask you about which fund.” 

Councilmembers Kamin and Amy Peck tagged the item, so it’s on hold until after the new year.

Plummer, who will run for Harris County Judge in 2026, attended her final meeting on December 17. She gave an emotional send-off, thanking the mayor and telling her colleagues the city is lucky to have them. “We have pushed mountains to serve,” said Plummer to her team. “I couldn’t ask for a better army to fight this fight.” 

Several councilmembers praised her work and wished her luck in future endeavors. They listed her accomplishments and projects, including police and apartment-inspection reform, improvements in public health and air quality, efforts to tackle the region’s cancer cluster, and other environmental initiatives. “You’ve pushed people to ask for more, you’ve pushed administrations to do more. You've pushed your council colleagues to see things differently,” said District H Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas. Colleagues Julian Ramirez, At-Large Position 1, and Joaquin Martinez of District I vowed to continue to work on Plummer’s apartment-inspection ordinance. Keep an eye on the race for Harris County Judge to see what’s next for Plummer.

There are an estimated 2.6 million registered voters in the Houston region. In the recent runoff election for the At-Large 4 City Council seat, around 43,000 people voted. (Alejandra Salinas won, ICYMI.) And Houstonians will be asked to vote again…again. The special election for Congressional District 18 is slated for January 31, 2026. The city council also recently set April 4 as the election date for the District C seat, which Abbie Kamin resigned from in early December to run for Harris County* Attorney. With Plummer stepping back, local elections are starting to feel like a game of musical chairs.