City council was filled with controversy over Montrose’s rainbow crosswalk, the GRB expansion, and more.
Emily Hynds has been independently covering Houston City Council meetings since June 2020. In her monthly Houstonia column, she shares all the latest intel about what’s happening at city hall. Want to check the meetings out for yourself? Read this companion guide.
IN THIS MONTH’S DISPATCH: The mayor flip-flops on a tax rate promise, the city tears out Montrose’s iconic rainbow crosswalk, the GRB expansion ruffles feathers, and—don’t forget—we’re in the middle of an election.
Mayor Whitmire goes back on his tax rate promises. Here’s why you should care.
Both Houston’s state and voter-approved city mandates limit how much the city can collect from property taxes, colloquially known as “revenue caps.” These dictate the city’s property tax rate. Sometimes, but not often, all this revenue-cap math allows the city to raise the tax rate, as happened earlier this year in May, when Mayor John Whitmire proposed a budget that included a tax rate increase. Despite the planned increase, the budget still projected a deficit that would require drawing $70 million from the city’s fund balance (a.k.a. the city’s savings account) to cover costs, according to the controller’s monthly financial report.
At the October deadline to set the city’s tax rate, the mayor shockingly decided not to raise it. Gasp!
Mayor Whitmire reasoned that a tax increase should never be the first step, adding that he isn’t done overhauling the city’s bureaucracy yet, vowing again to get rid of “waste, duplication, and conflicts of interest.”
Whitmire’s decision drew backlash. In disagreement, councilmember Sallie Alcorn, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, warned of dire consequences down the line. Alcorn has consistently advocated for raising the tax rate: On October 15, Alcorn said that she had “[grown] a little weary because it’s been three mayors now that have said similar things, and nobody’s really done anything.” Alcorn also supported the mayor’s budget plans, which included significant contract increases for police, fire, and, to a lesser extent, municipal workers, “with a clear-eyed understanding that we would have to raise revenues to afford them.”
Councilmember Abbie Kamin argued that the increase to the average taxpayer’s burden would be relatively low, especially compared to the millions more the city would collect. Councilmembers Alcorn, Kamin, and Edward Pollard voted against the mayor in support of increasing taxes, but the rate remains the same. The city will now need to draw an additional $53 million from its fund balance to cover this year’s costs, unless the mayor has another plan to create revenue.
Montrose’s Rainbow Crosswalk, a symbol and a safety measure, is gone
Montrose’s iconic rainbow crosswalk at Westheimer and Taft has been torn up and paved over. At the October 15 council meeting, Mayor Whitmire explained that Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the US Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, directed him to remove the crosswalk or risk losing federal funding on which the city heavily relies. Initiatives like the HIV prevention and treatment programs are led by the city’s health department, which can’t function without the $98 million it receives from the federal government.
At that same meeting, councilmember Kamin challenged the governor’s authority and called it “inappropriate state overreach into local control.” The crosswalk, Kamin said, is a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, but it is also a safety measure: Brighter crosswalks are more visible to drivers and therefore, safer for pedestrians. “The state does not have a right to say we cannot do something on our own property… We should be legally challenging that,” Kamin argued.
Mayor Whitmire replied, “That’s a battle we would lose.”
The crosswalk was removed in the late hours of the night on Sunday, October 19. Four protesters were arrested. At the October 22 council meeting, councilmember Kamin asked why the Houston Police Department’s LGBTQ+ liaison was not on the scene or even informed of the situation, even though they were on duty. She suggested they could have helped with de-escalation and prevented arrests. Mayor Whitmire did not respond.
Polk Street closure and the GRB Expansion move forward
There’s a lot going on around the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB), and it’s not going to be over anytime soon. The major rebuild of Highway 59 and I-45 and the GRB expansion, the latest projects by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), will radically change the Downtown area over the next 15 years. At the October 15 meeting, Michael Heckman, CEO of Houston First Corporation, which owns and operates the GRB, addressed concerns about the expansion and unexpected closure of parts of Polk Street. People for Polk, a local advocacy group, says the street is one of the few safe ways for pedestrians and cyclists to reach Downtown from the East End.
Councilmember Martinez added that opponents do not represent the majority and that longtime East End residents, including people he knows, support the development. Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz said she would withhold her “no” vote to see the result of future public engagement and compromise. Mayor Whitmire implied he is looking forward to working with her on removing the Blodgett bike lanes near Texas Southern University, an initiative that’s an enduring peeve of Evans-Shabazz. They were vague enough that it wasn’t actually quid pro quo, but it sure smelled like it. Council voted to sell the contested parts of Polk Street to Houston First, but there are more votes to come, which means more time for advocacy.
Coming up: Get out there and vote
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, but early voting is underway and lasts through Friday, October 31. Visit harrisvotes.org to view your ballot and find a polling place near you. The ballot includes a special election for the Congressional District 18 seat, which has been empty since Sylvester Turner died in March. Additional ballot issues include many state propositions, as well as seats for trustees for Houston City College (formerly Houston Community College), HISD, and Cy-Fair-ISD, and one Houston City Council position: At-Large 4. (Earlier this year, former councilmember Leticia Plummer resigned her seat to run for Harris County judge.) Several people are running for this seat, including Alejandra Salinas, Dwight Boykins, and Jordan Thomas. Whoever is elected will fulfill the remainder of this term and, if history goes to show, could be favored heavily to win a second term. Incumbents always have an advantage.
Houston City Council meetings take place almost every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 901 Bagby Street or online via HTV.