Houston City Council
Houston City Council | |
---|---|
Unicameral | |
Leadership | |
Mayor | |
Mayor Pro-tempore | Martha Castex-Tatum (D) |
Vice Mayor Pro-tempore | Amy Peck (R) |
Structure | |
Seats | 16 |
Political groups | Officially nonpartisan Majority
Minority
|
Meeting place | |
Council Room Houston City Hall |
The Houston City Council is a
.The Council has sixteen members: eleven from council districts and five elected at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, with the most recent election being held in 2023 and the next being held in 2027. All positions are up for re-election at the same time. Council Members are limited to two terms of four years.[3] Under the current city charter, if the population in the city limits went past 2.1 million residents, the previous nine-member city council districts would be expanded with the addition of two city council districts.[4] Since the threshold was passed, the city created two new districts.[5]
The Council works with the mayor in a strong mayor-council model. The City Council monitors the performance of city agencies, confirm the mayor's appointments, and makes land use decisions as well as legislating on a variety of other issues.
The Mayor chairs meetings of City Council and has a vote in the proceedings in all cases. In the event of the Mayor's absence, the Mayor Pro-Tem, a member of the Council chosen for the position by the mayor, presides over Council meetings. Should both the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem be unavailable, the Vice Mayor Pro-Tem, chosen for the position by fellow Council Members, will preside.
City Council and the Administrative Office of City Council (AOCC), a division of the Finance Department which serves administrative duties for the council, are housed in the City Hall Annex in Downtown Houston.[6]
History
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2012) |
Between the
Members
Position | Name | First elected | Party (officially nonpartisan) |
---|---|---|---|
District A | Amy Peck | 2019 | Republican[9] |
District B | Tarsha Jackson | 2020 | Democratic[10] |
District C | Abbie Kamin | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
District D | Carolyn Evans-Shabazz | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
District E | Fred Flickinger | 2023 | Republican[11] |
District F | Tiffany Thomas | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
District G | Mary Nan Huffman | 2022 | Republican[11] |
District H | Mario Castillo | 2023 | Democratic[11] |
District I | Joaquin Martinez | 2023 | Democratic[11] |
District J | Edward Pollard | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
District K | Martha Castex-Tatum | 2018 | Democratic[11] |
At-Large Position 1 | Julian Ramirez | 2023 | Republican[11] |
At-Large Position 2 | Willie Davis | 2023 | Republican[11] |
At-Large Position 3 | Twila Carter | 2023 | Republican[11] |
At-Large Position 4 | Letitia Plummer | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
At-Large Position 5 | Sallie Alcorn | 2019 | Democratic[11] |
Houston City Council Member Larry Green, who represented District K since 2012, was found dead in his home on March 6, 2018. Martha Castex-Tatum won a special election to fill Green’s vacated seat on May 5, 2018 and assumed office on May 16, 2018. As of 2019, 5 seats were up for grabs which were the At Large positions 4 and 5, and Districts B, C, and J seats. At Large position 5, and council districts B, C, and J had term-limited council members who were serving out their third and final term in office under the pre-2016 three 2 year terms allowed by the city charter.
Districts
As of 2011 the City of Houston has eleven city council districts, A through K.[12]
The current City Council Districts were announced in 2011. District J and K were newly added. As of 2011, the populations of four districts (in terms of overall population and voting age population) are majority Hispanic, the populations of three districts are majority White, two districts have a majority African-American population, and one is close to being majority African American. Of the districts, one has a significant Asian American population.[13] Both new districts are in Southwest Houston.[5]
District A
District A serves areas in northwestern Houston.[14] District A includes communities north of Interstate 10 (Katy Freeway),[15] including Spring Branch.[16] As of 2012 thousands of South Korean people live within District A.[17]
As of 2012, according to
District B
District B serves areas in northern Houston and northeast Houston.[14][19] Chris Moran of the Houston Chronicle said that the district "is considered an African-American stronghold."[14] Most residents belong to racial and ethnic minorities.[19]
Areas within the district boundaries include Acres Homes, the Fifth Ward,[20][21] and George Bush Intercontinental Airport.[14]
The Houston Chronicle said that District B's constituency "has been shortchanged historically on municipal services and economic development."[19] A lot of illegal dumping occurs within the district. The newspaper added that the district has "a resilient community spirit."[19] Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle said in 2005 that the district, prior to the 2011 redistricting, "is plagued by unkempt lots, clogged ditches and substandard streets."[21]
In 1987 District B included Clinton Park, the Fifth Ward, Fontane Place, Kashmere Gardens, Scenic Woods, Settegast, Songwood, and Trinity Gardens. It also included the Lake Houston and the Bush Airport areas. In 1987 the district was 69% African American.[22]
As of 2020[update] the runoff for District B had not yet taken place even though the first round of the election occurred in 2019.[23]
After a year-long delay the runoff election for District B took place Dec. 12, 2020, between Tarsha Jackson, an advocate for criminal justice reform, and Cynthia Bailey, head of a non-profit focused on helping local kids. Jackson defeated Bailey with 68.5% of the vote.[24]
District C
District C extends from an area north of the
Because of the inclusion of the Montrose, Heights, and Rice University areas, it has the nickname "Hipstrict" for what Chris Moran of the Houston Chronicle refers to as its "progressive, urban ethic."[14] The Houston Chronicle editorial base described District C as a district that should be "politically dynamic."[31]
Historically District C has covered areas within the "Inner Loop" (areas inside the
In the 1990s District C had a wedge shape. It extended from the Museum District to the
As 2011 city council redistricting approached, some members of Houston's gay community and some Houston area bloggers proposed returning Montrose to District C.[33] Around 2011 an earlier plan would have combined the Heights and Montrose under a district called District J.[36]
District D
District D extends from the northernmost area within
District D is home to Texas Southern University and the University of Houston.20 years before 2011, Montrose was moved from District C to district D to avoid putting too many minorities in a single city council district.[33] While Montrose was in District D, it was not able to have its own residents elected to city council. Instead the district was forced to try to influence electoral contests involving candidates from other neighborhoods. In the 2011 redistricting Montrose was moved into District C.[31]
District E
District E mainly consists of
District F
District F serves areas in southwestern Houston.
In 1985 District F included far
District G
District G serves areas in western Houston.
Briarmeadow and Tanglewilde, two communities south of Westheimer Road, were previously in district G until 2011, when redistricting moved them into District F.[15]
In 1987 District G was the wealthiest city council district in Houston. It was about 90% white. It served River Oaks and most of Memorial, two very wealthy communities, and it also served
District H
District H includes some areas north of the
Before the 2011 redistricting, District H included all of the Houston Heights. At the time District H was mostly Hispanic, but because of the inclusion of the Houston Heights, it was becoming increasingly non-Hispanic White.[33]
District I
District I includes neighborhoods in southeastern Houston,[14] including several East End communities.[39][49] It also includes most of Downtown Houston.[14][49] District I had been established by 1979, with the first election campaign for City Council District I occurring during that year.[50]
District J
District J includes several neighborhoods along
District J was formed as a district to allow
As of 2011, 63.1% of residents are Hispanic and Latino.[31] Significant numbers of White, Black, and Asian people live in the district. As of the same year, 17% of registered voters had family names of Spanish/Hispanic origin.[51] Many people living in the district are not U.S. citizens.[31] Jason Moran of the Houston Chronicle said that the area has been referred to as a "Hispanic opportunity district."[14]
In a May 2011 editorial the Houston Chronicle editors said that they support the redistricting plan since they believed that Hispanics need more representation, but they added that the election of a Hispanic to fill the position is not guaranteed because many of the residents are not U.S. citizens and are ineligible to vote. As an example, the editors pointed to the
District K
District K is in far southwestern Houston.
The district includes
District K was formed in 2011,[14] with territory taken from council districts C and D.[53] As of 2011 it has an African-American plurality,[14] and most of its residents were Black and Hispanic.[53] In a 2011 editorial the Houston Chronicle editors stated that African-American voters likely would have control of the district.[31]
Notable former members
- Carroll G. Robinson (at-large council member)
- Jew Don Boney Jr.
- Helena Brown
- Annise Parker (at-large council member)[31]
- Ben Reyes[54]
- Gordon Quan[55]
- Martha Wong[56]
- Al Hoang
- Sheila Jackson Lee
- Michael Berry
- M.J. Khan
- Sue Lovell
- Rob Todd (Chairman Tower Commission)
- Orlando Sanchez (Harris County Treasurer)
- Mike Sullivan (Harris County Tax Assessor)
- Joe Roach
References
- ^ "On the surface, Houston's proposed city council maps barely budge, but the ground is shifting | Kinder Institute for Urban Research". Kinder Institute for Urban Research | Rice University. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ Cheng, Yilun (2022-10-12). "Houston approves city council redistricting plan for 2023 elections". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ "Houston City Council". City of Houston. 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ^ Matt Stiles (2006-08-10). "City Council may grow by two seats, Houston Chronicle". chron.com. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ a b c Foster, Robin. "Candidates' forum offers reminder about new districts election: Fourm [sic] provides feedback Candidates' forum offers reminder about new districts." Houston Chronicle. Tuesday September 20, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Administrative Office of City Council." City of Houston. Retrieved on January 8, 2011. "Administrative Office of City Council City Hall Annex 900 Bagby, 1st Floor Houston, TX 77002"
- ^ Davis, Rod. "Houston's really good idea Bus tour celebrates communities that forged a city." San Antonio Express-News. Sunday August 3, 2003. Travel 1M. Retrieved on February 11, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-87722-650-5.
- ^ November 12, Genevieve Carter on. "Harris County Republican Party Endorses Houston City Council Candidates in Runoff Elections". Harris County Republican Party. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "ENDORSEMENTS". Tarsha4DistrictB. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "David Robinson – Off the Kuff". Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Revised Redistricting Staff Plan of May 9, 2011." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "New Houston city council districts announced." KTRK-TV. Tuesday May 10, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Moran, Chris. "Only 2 city incumbents lack opponents." Houston Chronicle. Thursday September 8, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ The Memorial Examiner. Wednesday October 26, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "District A incumbent Stardig faces two challengers." KTRK-TV. Tuesday November 1, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ McCoy, Terrence. "Helena Brown's Asian Adventures: DMZ, Fighter Jets – But What About The Airlines? Archived 2013-12-25 at the Wayback Machine" Houston Press. Monday July 9, 2012. Retrieved on July 25, 2012.
- ^ McCoy, Terrence. "Who's Behind Helena Brown?" Houston Press. Wednesday July 4, 2012. 2. Retrieved on July 25, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Editorial: Kathy Ballard-Blueford Daniels for City Council." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday October 5, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Revised Council District B Archived 2012-06-25 at the Wayback Machine." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Mack, Kristen. "Small differences separate runoff candidates." Houston Chronicle. Friday December 9, 2005. 2. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Rodriguez, Lori. "District B contest/Architect Reynaldo Pradia seeks to unseat Ernest McGowen." Houston Chronicle. Monday October 12, 1987. Section 1, Page 9. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Rice, Jen (2020-05-06). "6 Months After Houston's City Council Elections, District B Is Still Waiting On A Runoff". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
- ^ Rice, Jen (2020-12-13). "Tarsha Jackson Wins Long-Delayed Houston City Council Runoff Election". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- ^ Moran, Chris. "City Council District C candidates target high-rises." Houston Chronicle. Monday October 10, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c City of Houston, Council District Maps, District C Archived 2012-12-24 at the Wayback Machine." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Map Archived 2008-09-05 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Heights. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Connelly, Richard. "The Heights-Montrose-Museum District Council Seat: A Checklist for Potential Candidates." Houston Press. Wednesday May 11, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Editorial: Ellen Cohen for City Council District C." Houston Chronicle. Thursday October 6, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Oak Forest Section Map Archived 2005-03-16 at the Wayback Machine." Oak Forest Homeowner's Association. Retrieved on June 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Political challenge: Revised council redistricting plan offers Hispanics a third majority district." (editorial) Houston Chronicle. Wednesday May 18, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- The Bellaire Examiner. Tuesday November 1, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Jigsaw puzzle: Creating two new Houston City Council seats poses demographic challenges." (editorial) Houston Chronicle. Wednesday January 26, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Mack, Kristen. "Council District C hopefuls push advocacy Diverse area has 7 candidates to pick from Nov. 8." Houston Chronicle. Friday October 21, 2005. Retrieved on November 4, 2011.
- ^ Mason, Julie. "Chimney Rock issue may decide outcome of District C." Houston Chronicle. Sunday September 19, 1999. A35 MetFront. Retrieved on October 17, 2012.
- ^ Connelly, Richard. "City Council Redistricting Map: Montrose and the Heights, (Somewhat) Together." Houston Press. April 6, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Revised Council District D Archived 2012-01-27 at the Wayback Machine." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Wallstin, Brian. "Situational Ethics." Houston Press. Thursday March 26, 1997. 1. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c Mack, Kristen. "City Council hopefuls starting to make plans." Houston Chronicle. Friday January 5, 2007. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. Print version exclusively has timeline of Houston annexations and the infobox on incorporated areas. The main story and "About Kingwood" are in the online edition and in the print edition.
- ^ Moran, Chris. "District F councilman facing both political, legal fights." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 9, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c Tolson, Mike. "Council contender scores improbable upset." Houston Chronicle. November 10, 2013. Retrieved on August 7, 2014.
- ^ Hurst, Deborah. "Goodner stays away from focusing on gays in District F campaign." Houston Chronicle. Monday October 21, 1985. Section 1, Page 10. Retrieved on August 8, 2011.
- ^ "Editorial: Pennington for council District G." (editorial) Houston Chronicle. Friday October 7, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Cobb, Kim. "District G candidates target area's service gaps as their first priority." Houston Chronicle. Saturday October 24, 1987. Section 1, Page 19. Retrieved on October 14, 2012.
- ^ a b Morris, Mike. "Pothole patrol looks for Houston's bumps." Houston Chronicle. Friday January 14, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Revised Council District H Archived 2012-06-26 at the Wayback Machine." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Endorsement: Vote Gonzalez for District H seat." Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 4, 2009. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Revised Council District I Archived 2013-09-18 at the Wayback Machine." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ Rodriguez, Lori. "Alvarado's missteps may halt political career." Houston Chronicle. March 27, 2006. Retrieved on November 27, 2012.
- ^ a b c Shauk, Zain. "Hispanic-opportunity district draws three candidates." Houston Chronicle. Friday October 14, 2011. Retrieved on November 4, 2011. (Refer to image, Archive)
- ^ a b "Editorial: Larry Green for council District K." (editorial) Houston Chronicle. Tuesday October 11, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Lee, Renée C. "New faces hoping to represent new District K." Houston Chronicle. Thursday October 20, 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
- KHOU-TV. December 29, 2006. Retrieved on August 4, 2009.
- ^ Zheng, Chunhua Zen. "Quan urges Chinese-Americans to become more active in politics." Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 28, 2001. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on July 28, 2012.
- ^ Staff. "Campaign Notebook." Houston Chronicle. Saturday January 11, 1997. A30. Retrieved on February 16, 2012.
External links
- Houston City Council main page
- Morris, Mike and Allan Turner. "Latinos criticize Houston City Council redistricting plan City Council redistricting plan draws fire Mayor's proposal would increase seats from 9 to 11, but critics say attempt to boost Hispanic districts not foolproof." Houston Chronicle. Thursday April 7, 2011.
- Morris, Mike. "Latino leaders suggest map for Houston Council districts Latino leaders offer own map of Houston City Council Alternative is one of 16 received in past two weeks." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday April 20, 2011.