Mayor Whitmire Makes First State of the City Appearance

I recently had the opportunity to deliver my first State of the City speech to a sold-out crowd of business and community leaders on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

As I said during the event, Houston is a great city with great people. However, like all major cities, we have challenges. The difference is that Houston fixes its problems.

If you missed the State of the City, here are some highlights of my address:

In less than one year, Houston has faced three weather disasters, including the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl. The damage from those storms created an expensive recovery process and we are looking at options to avoid draining the city’s finances.
Since becoming mayor, I have made significant leadership changes in city departments, ended the city’s long and expensive legal battle with our firefighters, and implemented many quality-of-life improvements in mobility and transportation.
My focus is on building a future for Houston that is transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible.
While the city is facing financial challenges because of the weather disasters and budget shortfalls my administration inherited, I am not going to look at raising taxes until I can tell Houstonians I have done everything possible to cut out waste, duplication and corruption.
The City Council recently approved hiring an outside consulting firm to conduct a city departmental performance, financial, organizational, and forensic accounting assessment. The assessment will help my team create a roadmap to improve the city’s overall operational efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery.
I will work with anyone if it improves people’s lives. Harris County Commissioners Tom Ramsey, Leslie Briones, and Adrian Garcia are great partners.
I am also collaborating with state leaders to obtain more resources and revenue to benefit all Houstonians. Houston has a rich history of bold and visionary problem-solving, from the Texas Medical Center to the Port and Johnson Space Center.

Mayor Whitmire Makes First State of the City Appearance

I recently had the opportunity to deliver my first State of the City speech to a sold-out crowd of business and community leaders on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

As I said during the event, Houston is a great city with great people. However, like all major cities, we have challenges. The difference is that Houston fixes its problems.

If you missed the State of the City, here are some highlights of my address:

In less than one year, Houston has faced three weather disasters, including the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl. The damage from those storms created an expensive recovery process and we are looking at options to avoid draining the city’s finances.

Since becoming mayor, I have made significant leadership changes in city departments, ended the city’s long and expensive legal battle with our firefighters, and implemented many quality-of-life improvements in mobility and transportation.

My focus is on building a future for Houston that is transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible.

While the city is facing financial challenges because of the weather disasters and budget shortfalls my administration inherited, I am not going to look at raising taxes until I can tell Houstonians I have done everything possible to cut out waste, duplication and corruption.

I will work with anyone if it improves people’s lives. Harris County Commissioners Tom Ramsey, Leslie Briones, and Adrian Garcia are great partners.

I am also collaborating with state leaders to obtain more resources and revenue to benefit all Houstonians. Houston has a rich history of bold and visionary problem-solving, from the Texas Medical Center to the Port and Johnson Space Center.

I assure you, Houstonians, that the best is yet to come.

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