Emily Hynds, known locally as “she who takes notes,” has been independently covering Houston City Council meetings since June 2020. In her monthly Houstonia column, she shares all the juicy intel about what’s going on at city hall. Want to check the meetings out for yourself? Read this companion guide.

City council had a whirlwind of a month. Houston was kind-of-but-kind-of-not audited, got sued, and sold some land for more highways. There was also more TIRZ drama, with councilmembers delaying votes for three new board appointments. Here’s what you need to know.

Don’t call it an audit

The city released a massive efficiency report by Ernst & Young that’s basically an audit but that term is scary so…audits are out and efficiency reports are in. On February 12, several representatives from the mayor’s office made a presentation that stretched the limits of even my capacity for detail, and that’s saying something.

• The report investigated all 22 city departments, directly surveyed 12,000 city employees, identified problem areas in city operations, and came up with a slate of recommendations.
• The report did not include any predictions on what these recommendations could save the city. When pressed, the mayor’s chief of staff said savings in municipal spending could be 5 to 15 percent, which set the room aflutter in a way that only talk of budget savings at a city council meeting could.
• Recommendations include increasing quality career pathways in the city, consolidating some manager roles, exploring collaborations with the county, and reducing duplicative spending.

As budget season approaches, we will see if any of the changes get implemented and if they affect the city’s budget shortcomings. The city is always operating under a budget shortfall. Will this year be any different?

All eyes on TIRZs

Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ) are hyperlocal districts where incremental increases in property tax revenue are allocated for improvements within that area. Houston has two revenue caps—one state-mandated and another approved by voters in 2004—that limit the amount of property tax income the city can collect, typically seen as a measure to rein in government spending. Instead of bypassing these caps, TIRZs are intended to use the incremental growth in tax revenue within their geographical boundaries on projects that benefit the public like affordable housing, road improvements, sidewalks, and parks. This is an imperfect system with good and bad traits, and this is all relevant because there has been much hullabaloo in recent months about mismanagement, long-time TIRZ chairs getting too comfortable, and the mayor overstepping his power in directing TIRZ boards.

On February 12, councilmember Edward Pollard delayed a vote to confirm a new appointment to the St. George Place TIRZ, and councilmembers Tiffany Thomas and Pollard delayed a vote to confirm two appointments to the Southwest TIRZ. There is a lot of chatter about TIRZ in general and I highly recommend getting involved with a local TIRZ if you can. They are more accessible than city council meetings, and they address neighborhood specific projects, possibly right down the street from you.

More breaks for council

On January 29, councilmember Pollard spoke against a measure to give city council more time out of session during 2025. Councilmembers Pollard and Julian Ramirez voted against it on February 5, but the measure still passed. Going forward, council will have five more break weeks, which included the week of President’s Day. I will not complain about the time off.

The city got sued over drainage

The colloquially known “drainage lawsuit” has had some recent developments. A quick debrief: Two plaintiffs sued the city in 2019, alleging it isn’t putting as much tax money as it should into the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF). The city, of course, contested that and the lawsuit has since been making its way through the courts.

In late January, the Texas Supreme Court declined to hear the case, effectively upholding a lower court’s ruling that Houston needs to put $100 million more annually into the DDSRF. This will significantly affect budget proceedings. Houston City Controller Chris Hollins sounded the alarm at the February 5 council meeting but the mayor and finance director Melissa Dubowski were less doom and gloom, both acknowledging the lawsuit but saying they have been planning for it, pointing to a few cost-saving measures instituted throughout the last several months. Mayor John Whitmire said he is communicating with the plaintiffs and hopes to work out a payment schedule that eases strain on the city.

Even more freeway expansion is coming

On January 29, in a rare close vote, the city agreed to sell some land along the White Oak Bayou to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the multi-billion-dollar North Houston Highway Improvement Plan to reconstruct I-45. Councilmembers Mario Castillo, Letitia Plummer, Tarsha Jackson, Abbie Kamin, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Thomas, and Pollard voted not to sell, but the item still passed nine votes to seven. Councilmember Castillo, who represents District H where the parcel of land is, said, “I believe the best path forward is through aerial easements and not selling our land. Specifically land that abuts hike and bike trails that are highly utilized.” In late January, floodwater caused TxDOT construction equipment to crash into part of the MKT bridge over White Oak Bayou, causing an indefinite closure. The MKT bridge crash is unrelated to the NHHIP, but it’s still not a good look.

Coming up

Budget season looms. I’m interested to hear how the efficiency report, drainage lawsuit, and water treatment plant needs will affect the mayor’s proposed budget and what amendments councilmembers come up with. I’ll keep my eyes on TIRZ chatter, ongoing Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) contracts, and the DDSRF. And I will, of course, take notes on all of it to share with you next month. Houston City Council meetings take place almost every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 901 Bagby Street or online via HTV.