Several Houston leaders were sworn into office recently at the Inauguration ceremony held at Wortham Center in downtown Houston. Mayor Sylvester Turner, along with City Controller Chris Brown and City Council members: Amy Peck – District A, Abbie Kamin – District C, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz – District D, Dave Martin – District E, Tiffany Thomas – District F, Greg Travis – District G, Karla Cisneros – District H, Robert Gallegos – District I, Edward Pollard – District J, Martha Castex-Tatum – District K, Mike Knox – At-Large 1, David Robinson – At-Large 2, Michael Kubosh – At-Large 3, Letitia Plummer – At-Large 4 and Sallie Alcorn – At-Large 5, took their oaths of office at the ceremony, which was attended by a diverse crowd of campaign supporters, elected officials, community leaders and faith leaders. The diversity exhibited at the ceremony represented the inclusivity of Houston and the direction this city is headed in.
Mayor Turner has made it a point to be a hands-on leader for the City of Houston. He has brought a performance driven approach to this position, creating more responsive and efficient delivery of city services.
He is approaching his second term with the same tenacity, with a focus on expanding street repairs from the already 250,000 completed pothole fills in his first term. He has even requested the Director of Houston Public Works to present a plan that prioritizes and funds the reparation of Houston streets.
“The city has fallen behind on street repairs for decades,” Mayor Turner said. “But that is no reason to accept the present conditions. We must strive to keep pace with deteriorating streets by replacing them within their lifetime of 35 years instead of every 100 years as is current practice.”
Apart from improvements to the city’s roads, Mayor Turner has other intentions for making Houston the best it can be. He is looking to involve non-profits and corporations as financial partners in the reduction of homelessness; carry out a newly funded flood mitigation project; debut the final version of the city’s first climate action plan; improve neighborhood parks; and further expand the city’s digital innovation economic sector.
“I plan to build on the successful programs of my first term,” Mayor Turner said. “I know my second term will pass quickly, so I will remain focused on moving Houston forward in a positive direction.”
Mayor Turner also has plans to continue work through his Complete Communities initiative. Complete Communities’ goal is to improve neighborhoods so all of Houston’s residents and business owners can have access to quality services and amenities. Ten neighborhoods are currently involved with the initiative, and the mayor is working to extend it to the entire city to ensure no neighborhood gets shorted on services and resources.
“This initiative is about working closely with the residents of communities who have not reached their full potential, understanding their strengths and opportunities and collaborating with partners across the city to strengthen them,” Mayor Turner said.
With all of the changes headed Houston’s way, Mayor Turner has made it a priority to involve the community in the decisions that are made for their communities. Each year, he attends hundreds of community events where he has an opportunity to speak directly with residents and hear their concerns. Stakeholder engagement will remain an essential part of the decision-making process as well as working with super neighborhoods and the city’s diverse business and community groups.
“My goal is to be inclusive of all opinions,” Mayor Turner said. “I want citizens to be a part of the process of moving Houston forward.”
