The Brief
- Houston mayor John Whitmire promises to address waste and corruption before considering a property tax increase.
- Whitmire condemns METRO’s excessive bureaucracy and high salaries amid declining ridership.
- The mayor criticizes the Houston Housing Authority’s $130 million project as an example of waste and mismanagement.
HOUSTON – Mayor John Whitmire insists Houston’s legacy is “fixing” its problems and refusing, stubbornly, to let them fester.
It was a message delivered at his first State of the City gathering and was followed by what sounded very much like a pledge to resist the option of raising property taxes.
“I’m not going to look or raise taxes until I can tell Houstonians I’ve done everything possible to cut out waste duplication, and quite frankly, corruption. We’ve got people indicted over an $80 million water drainage contract that didn’t even exist. We’ve got the midtown management district self-dealing. So, when I have done everything I can to cut waste duplication and corruption, I will let the public know. I am not going to do a quick fix of raising property taxes without the the public having a say,” said Whitmire.…