December 11, 2023
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Cat DeLaura, Audience producer |
Best of the Bayou
Today we're talking about our new Mayor-elect John Whitmire...
If you read one thing: Behind the scenes, Mayor-elect John Whitmire and his advisors are mapping out an administration and beginning to form working groups for the transition as he prepares to take the helm of the fourth largest city in the country on Jan. 2. Here are some of the big issues Whitmire will face during his first year in office.
Finances:
Like any new mayor, Whitmire will have about six months to win City Council's approval of his administration's first budget plan He has vowed to get the city on a more sustainable financial footing, an aim he will have to balance with the costly goals of hiring more police officers, improving infrastructure and bolstering city staff for garbage collection, permitting and other functions.
His budget proposal in the early summer will be the first sign of how he plans to prioritize those issues – and, more importantly, how he plans to pay for them.
Fight with the firefighters union:
Whitmire will inherit a long-running stalemate between the city and the firefighters union, one of his most ardent supporters. Whitmire has sworn he will drop a city lawsuit related to the firefighters on day one and seek to quickly get them a contract.
Public safety:
The new mayor – best known for rewriting the state's criminal justice laws in the 1990s – will have to address crime, the issue he fully embraced as City Hall's top priority during his campaign.
He has promised to be directly involved in recruiting police officers and to bring in Department of Public Safety troopers to help augment Houston police as well. Police Chief Troy Finner, who Whitmire said he would retain, greeted his new boss at Whitmire's election party Saturday night.
Go deeper:
- Here are seven things Whitmire promised to do once he gets to City Hall.
- Dear Mayor-elect Whitmire, there's no easy solution on crime in Houston, writes columnist Joy Sewing.
- Whitmire's mayoral win opens his Senate seat for the first time in 40 years.
Stay in the Loop
Photo by: Susan Barber
📰 Need to Know
- Anxiety grows among small Texas oil producers ahead of federal methane rule. New regulations are expected to intensify consolidation in the oil and gas industry at a time when players such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron are moving to acquire smaller rivals.
- Fact check: Did Donald Trump make peace in the Middle East? "With the historic Abraham Accords, I even made peace in the Middle East, we're gonna have peace in the Middle East," Trump said at a Dec. 2 rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
- What's next for Sheila Jackson Lee after mayoral defeat? Following her decisive defeat in Saturday's mayoral runoff, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee now has less than two days to decide whether to retire or run for reelection in Congress.
- Five takeaways from Houston's December runoff election. State Sen. John Whitmire and attorney Chris Hollins were elected Houston mayor and controller, respectively, in landslide victories. Elsewhere on the ballot, three incumbents and four newcomers were elected to City Council.
💼 Business
- Coming changes to Chrome and other web browsers may kneecap ad blockers. In the longstanding war between websites that rely on ads for revenue and those who don't want to see them, Google is deploying what critics decry as a nuclear option, writes tech columnist Dwight Silverman.
- Kia Sorento SX-Prestige is a crossover even a millennial can love. The Sorento provides a user experience on par with using an iPad. It's light and precise with a clean design, writes auto columnist Jesus R. Garcia.
- Holiday shoppers choose Amazon and Walmart for top destinations. Despite the eagerness to shop locally and with smaller businesses, Walmart remains a primary destination for consumers during the holidays.
🚗 Outside the Loop
- These beloved Houston restaurants are expanding into The Woodlands. Popular gyro shop Niko Niko's and beloved bakery Dessert Gallery will soon open in The Woodlands. Here's why the suburb appeals to Houston restaurants.
- Where to go horseback riding in the Houston area. These farms, equestrian centers and stables offer both long or short horseback rides in the Houston area, whether you're a beginner in the saddle or expert with the reins.
- Montgomery County nonprofits plan food drives and fundraisers during holiday season. To support the increasing need among food-insecure families and individuals during the holidays and into the new year, Montgomery County nonprofit groups are hosting food and fund drives.
Point of View
Killing spree in Austin and San Antonio has nothing to do with bail reform.
The events that led to the shootings in Austin and San Antonio underscore the reality that Texas' criminal justice system prioritizes cash over public safety, writes the Editorial Board.
- Journalistic neutrality needed during Israel Hamas war. "I do get what the political cartoonist was going for, but he crossed some lines for me and others with the prominent swastika use," writes one reader in a letter to the Editor.
Houston vs. All Y'all
Photo by: Adam Hunger, Associated Press
Texans analysis: C.J. Stroud and playoff chances take a big hit.
An early calf injury to WR Nico Collins and a late head injury to QB C.J. Stroud are only part of the 30-6 loss to the Jets that dropped Houston to 7-6
- Rockets welcome Amen Thompson's return vs. Spurs. Sidelined by an ankle sprain since Nov. 1, the rookie hasn't been idle of late, drawing glowing reviews in practice and averaging 21.5 points in two G League games.
- Texans one of six AFC teams at 7-6 but out of playoffs for now. The Texans are tied with six teams in the AFC for the final two wild-card playoff spots and have wins over three of them yet are ranked eighth, one spot out of the playoffs.
- Ex-Dash coach James Clarkson files defamation lawsuit vs. NWSL. The former Houston Dash coach alleges he was defamed last year when the league and players' association released a joint investigation that said he engaged in "emotional misconduct."
Get Out
Photo by: Kathy Adams Clark, Kathy Adams Clark/KAC Productions
Want to help Houston's bird population? Join the Christmas Bird Count.
The National Audubon Society will conduct its annual Christmas Bird Count from Dec. 14 to Jan 5, and you can participate.
- Our critic finds the best churros she ever ate at taqueria Comalito. The Mexico City-inspired taqueria at the Houston Farmers Market should be on your dining map, says critic Alison Cook.
- 'Cinderella' brings musical magic to the holidays at TUTS Houston. The current production, known as the "Enchanted Edition," was inspired by the 1997 TV film starring Brandy and Whitney Houston.
I had a blast at Lights in the Heights this weekend. I loved seeing how the neighborhood turned out to celebrate it. And any occasion when pedestrians get to take over the streets usually reserved for cars is a good time in my opinion.
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