Category Archives: Local politics

Fombonne named County Attorney

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

White smoke emerges from the chamber of Commissioners Court. Jonathan Fombonne, first assistant county attorney to Christian Menefee, was named Harris County attorney Thursday. The appointment came more than nine months after Menefee technically resigned to run for Congressional District … Continue reading →

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Drainage, demolition, what’s the difference?

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all vibes, man. Houston officials on Wednesday authorized an eyebrow-raising deal allowing $30 million to be spent from the city’s stormwater fund to demolish blighted buildings. Council Members Edward Pollard, Sallie Alcorn, Abbie Kamin, Tiffany D. Thomas, Mario Castillo, … Continue reading →

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Council proposal to limit HPD cooperation with ICE fails

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m annoyed by this, but it’s not the end of the line. A City Council proposal that would have given Houston police officers discretion over calling federal immigration officials during traffic stops has officially met its demise. The policy change … Continue reading →

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The gun violence dashboard

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Also from the “closing my tabs” department, this is good stuff. If a person shows up at an emergency room with a gunshot wound, but it’s never reported to the police, did it really happen? If you’re looking solely at … Continue reading →

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Whitmire resolution passes

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. Mayor John Whitmire will no longer be able to get endorsements from the Harris County Democratic Party following an overwhelming vote Sunday by the party’s precinct chairs, issuing what could pose as a debilitating blow to his … Continue reading →

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On not endorsing Whitmire

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to make for a fun debate. And by “fun”, I mean the sort of thing that will make me want to gouge out an eyeball or two. The Harris County Democratic Party will vote on a resolution … Continue reading →

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Still no replacement County Attorney

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not yet, but I expect it will happen soon. Commissioners failed to appoint someone to fill Christian Menefee’s seat Thursday, leaving the future of the county attorney’s office uncertain. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo scheduled a special session for Thursday … Continue reading →

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Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin?

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s pushing for it. Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin is garnering support to potentially be chosen by Harris County leadership as the new interim county attorney as they contend with a potential opening. Kamin has gathered a list of … Continue reading →

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Recall effort officially falls short

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They were not close. A much-hyped effort to recall Houston Mayor John Whitmire from office — the subject of multiple news stories and social media posts over the past year — fell significantly short of its goal as the 30-day … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend redistricts its Commissioners Court

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Was wondering when they were going to get around to this. The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court voted 3–2 Monday to adopt a new precinct map, replacing boundaries drawn in 2021 and reigniting debate over political representation in the county. … Continue reading →

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Punt!

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That seems to be the Mayor’s plan for fixing our finances. Mayor John Whitmire and City Council members on Wednesday opted to keep Houston’s property tax rate flat as calls for more revenue reach an inflection point at City Hall. … Continue reading →

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Paxton drops one gender affirming care lawsuit

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good, and bad at the same time. One of the nation’s first doctors accused of illegally providing care to transgender youth under GOP-led bans was found to have not violated the law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office says, nearly a year … Continue reading →

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On being financially prepared for future disasters

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Got to be thinking about it. Houston might need to make some policy changes to ensure that the city has enough money on hand to provide disaster relief as storms become more frequent and more expensive to recover from, Controller … Continue reading →

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On HPD and overtime

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Lots to think about here. Houston senior police officer Matthew Davis’ annual salary was about $90,000 this past fiscal year. He made nearly $170,000 more in overtime. It was not an anomaly. Davis has collected more in overtime than his … Continue reading →

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Second lawsuit filed against Tarrant County over its mid-decade redistricting

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This one has an interesting twist. The League of Women Voters of Tarrant County and the League of United Latin American Citizens are suing Tarrant County, the county’s commissioners court and County Judge Tim O’Hare over its mid-decade districting. The … Continue reading →

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The censure

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t we have enough drama already? Harris County commissioners voted 3-1 Thursday to censure Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo following a heated disagreement over a proposed tax increase for early childcare programs. Commissioners Lesley Briones, Tom Ramsey and Adrian Garcia … Continue reading →

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On Ed Pollard’s campaign cash

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a lot, as we have previously noted. It isn’t even close to the time potential candidates will start announcing their intention to run for Houston mayor in 2027. But if campaign finance reports are any indicator, Council Member Edward … Continue reading →

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Why is HCC requiring community groups to carry liability insurance?

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I got this in my inbox on Monday: Dear Community Members, Friends and Allies: Civic Clubs, Super Neighborhoods and other community organization’s ability to meet using Houston City College (HCC) facilities is being prevented due to a new policy requiring … Continue reading →

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Activist fined over mailers sent in 2023 District G race

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. A Houston activist was fined $12,438 last month for allegedly sending misleading mailers to disrupt a high-profile Houston City Council race among Tony Buzbee, Enyinna Isiguzo and incumbent council member Mary Nan Huffman in the fall of 2023. The … Continue reading →

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Hands Off Our Districts protest tomorrow

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Democrats, friends and neighbors, We’re asking everyone who believes in fair representation to join us this Saturday at 10:00 AM for the Day of Protest, “Hands Off Our Districts.” In solidarity with community leaders, elected officials, and precinct chairs across Harris County, … Continue reading →

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Yes, make the Mayor report on cancelled projects

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I support this plan. As Houston City Council prepares to vote on a whopping $16.7 billion plan for city projects over the next five years, one council member is proposing a greater level of transparency from Mayor John Whitmire when … Continue reading →

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New public defender incoming

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Congrats all around. For the first time in more than a decade, a new face will lead the Harris County Public Defender’s Office. Commissioners appointed Judge Genesis Draper of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 to lead the public defender’s office … Continue reading →

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Whitmire’s budget passes

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next thing. The City Council approved Mayor John Whitmire’s nearly $7 billion budget on Wednesday after months of strenuous efforts to cut costs and streamline services as officials contended with the largest deficit in Houston’s history. The … Continue reading →

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Judge approves the Whitmire drainage settlement deal

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay then. A Harris County District Court judge on Friday approved Mayor John Whitmire’s settlement agreement with plaintiffs to phase in payments to the city’s drainage fund, his office said. The final confirmation comes after more than a month of tension among … Continue reading →

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Storm recovery group challenges Whitmire’s drainage deal

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Plot twist coming, maybe. I’m skipping the first part of this story in which we rehash the 2010 ReNew Houston vote, the ways that Houston made use of the drainage fee revenue that were later challenged in court, the court … Continue reading →

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Controller Hollins has some questions about the budget

Posted on May 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This hit my inbox on Tuesday evening, so I didn’t see it in time to queue something up for yesterday. Ahead of Wednesday’s City Council vote on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, City Controller Chris Hollins has released a … Continue reading →

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Fair for Houston makes good on its warning

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They did warn us. Lawyers for advocacy group Fair for Houston have filed an injunction against Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council after urging the city to comply with a local law to give the city more representation … Continue reading →

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Hollins wants a final ruling on the drainage deal before he’ll certify the budget

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. Controller Chris Hollins said he won’t certify Mayor John Whitmire’s 2026 budget until the court makes a decision on the city’s payment agreement with the plaintiffs in a years-long streets and drainage lawsuit, Hollins told the Houston Chronicle following a budget trends report Tuesday. Whitmire earlier … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire releases his 2026 budget

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still trying to figure this out. Mayor John Whitmire proposed a $7 billion budget Tuesday for fiscal year 2026, closing a projected $220 million deficit without implementing new fees or taxes for residents. The proposal pulls $3.03 billion from Houston’s general fund, … Continue reading →

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Here’s the Mayor’s deal with HPD

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t wait to see what the budget looks like, because I have no idea how this is all going to work. Houston police officers will receive “the best (benefits) package in anyone’s memory,” Mayor John Whitmire said Friday, but how … Continue reading →

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Fair for Houston sends a warning

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve been more than patient. A Houston advocacy group warned Mayor John Whitmire and council members Thursday that the city is risking a lawsuit if it continues to ignore the will of voters by participating on a regional planning board … Continue reading →

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CityCast Houston talks to Recall Houston

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve talked before about Recall Houston and how that effort may play out, given the many obstacles that any such effort faces. I’ve been very curious to learn more about who is behind this effort and where they believe they … Continue reading →

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Houston can defer the drainage settlement spending

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can successfully kicked down the road. Mayor John Whitmire and plaintiffs in Houston’s drainage lawsuit have reached a deal on how the city will fund future street and drainage projects, slashing a third of its $330 million budget deficit. The … Continue reading →

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Short term rental ordinance passes

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Now we get to see how well it works. Future revisions may be needed, and that’s fine. Starting Jan. 1, all houses and apartments rented out for fewer than 30 days must be registered with the city’s Administration and Regulatory … Continue reading →

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