John Whitmire's first 100 days in office: Here's what Houston's new mayor has done so far

As Mayor John Whitmire marks his 100th day in office, he is celebrating the delivery of a major campaign promise that could have far-reaching consequences for how he tackles the remainder of his term. Whitmire’s landmark settlement with the firefighters union gives him a signature win in his first three months, but it also compounds an already dire financial picture at City Hall that will come into stark focus during budget season this year. Since announcing the deal, the new mayor has pitched a property tax hike and a garbage collection fee to help finance it, while creating breathing room for the city’s budget. Both options would likely create political tests – either at the ballot box or around the City Council horseshoe.

Elected officials often use the 100-day mark to reflect on their successes, but they also look to see how those successes might impact the next steps they must take in office. In Whitmire’s case, his early priority – getting a firefighter deal – could have lasting effects, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston. “The public wants progress, and they expect to see it early,” said Rottinghaus. “We are conditioned to want to see movement quickly, especially when there was a pretty heavy landslide and the issues were fairly obvious that the mayor wanted to address.” Even before the firefighter deal, the city’s financial outlook was grim, with Controller Chris Hollins predicting a $160 million to $200 million deficit – similar to the deficits the city ran pre-pandemic. With debt repayments and interest on the firefighter deal factored in, that number could now be closer to $230 million to $280 million, Hollins said. Whitmire's administration hopes to replace 125,000 water meter readers by years’ end. The mayor said fixing broken meter readers will address the “root” cause of customers receiving exorbitant water bills. Whitmire has appointed seven new department directors at City Hall, turning over leadership for about a third of the city’s government. Whitmire’s administration has also expressed skepticism over “Vision Zero,” the aspirational target to end traffic fatalities by 2030 by prioritizing safety and accessibility for all motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.