Posted on · Last week (10/14/15), the Houston City Council adopted a new Arts and Cultural Plan for the city — it’s first in 22 years. The goal? To harness all the cultural assets the city has to offer, identify the programming needs of audiences and patrons and the funding needs of institutions. While the plan passed and […]
Posted on · Recently, the Houston City Council contemplated whether to pay police officers more money to live in the city and closer to the communities they serve. Council members shelved the topic after struggling to find common ground. It’s not a new concept, and not unique to law enforcement. Some propose it’s beneficial for educators to live where […]
Posted on · Houston voters will decide this November if term limits for elected officials should be extended.
Posted on · Houston has a new framework to support its creative community.
Posted on · The Arts and Cultural Plan for Houston will have to wait at least another week before its fate is known.
Posted on · In just a few weeks, Houstonians will cast their ballot not only for the next mayor, but also for city council members and controller. To better understand the races and what’s at stake, we talk with Charles Kuffner, who writes the “Off the Kuff” political blog, about the various races and the issues of most […]
Posted on · Five members of Houston’s City Council Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2015) used the council’s tag rule to delay a vote to adopt a General Plan. We hear the concerns a pair of council members raised last week about Plan Houston, and then talk about it with Houston city planner Patrick Walsh, and Joe Webb, the Chairman of […]
Posted on · The agreement will shutter the city’s jails.
Posted on · Hurricane Rita made landfall ten years ago today. Fearing the worst, on the heels of Katrina, officials ordered a mass evacuation, which turned out, in many ways, to be more damaging than the storm itself. An estimated 2.5 million people tried to clear out ahead of what was initially a category five hurricane. Rita weakened […]
Posted on · If you’ve been following the campaign for Houston mayor, you might think the city is in a serious budget crisis. But how bad is it?
Posted on · It's now up to the City Council to adopt the city’s first general plan – a strategic vision for a city known for not having zoning laws.
Posted on · Annise Parker has a lot to juggle in her role as mayor of Houston: Thereâs management of the city, ensuring that all of its laws are properly enforced. There are ceremonial duties, as the cityâs official representative at special events, ribbon cuttings, and meetings with officials and dignitaries. There are appointments to make; budgeting to […]
Posted on · On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Houston’s City Council must either repeal the city’s equal rights ordinance or place it on the November ballot. That ruling follows a state district judge ruling three months ago that opponents of the non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum. The state […]
Posted on · When Bill White was mayor, Houstonians approved a cap on the amount of revenue the city of Houston can amass each year. While the cap — tied to the combined rates of inflation and population growth — is designed to encourage fiscal responsibility, it’s placed the city in a bit of a bind, forcing property tax […]
Posted on · Late Wednesday night (6/17/15), the Houston City Council approved a $5.1 billion budget for FY ’16. It came after hours of wide-ranging discussions about ongoing union talks, deed restrictions, and a number of amendments. It was a long night for City Hall reporters too — the Houston Chronicle’s Mike Morris among them. Nevertheless, he joins us […]