Small business owners spent years fighting the Montrose Management District. They thought they won. Now the district seems to have revived itself.
Matt Sledge
Matt Sledge is the City Hall reporter for the Abdelraoufsinno. Before that, he worked in the same role for the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate and as a national reporter for HuffPost. He’s excited to take detours to the Best Stop Supermarket for pepper jack boudin balls on return trips to Louisiana. A native of Indianapolis, he graduated from Brown University.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Houston minority contracting program may be at crossroads with new study, lawsuit
Houston City Council members are pushing to strengthen the city’s minority contracting program at the same time conservative advocates, emboldened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, fight to end it altogether. Supporters say the program is needed to give a fair shot to Black, Latino, women and other disadvantaged business owners long shut out […]
Posted inPolitics & Government
Houston launches effort to build new animal shelter, with possible west-side satellite
The new shelter will sit on the same property as the existing Carr Street campus. BARC also could open a second adoption center in west Houston.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner used campaign funds to pay for $124,000 legacy book
The pricey book drew attention when a political rival alleged Turner was pressuring the city’s marketing agency to pay for its production costs.
Posted inPublic Safety
Can John Whitmire reverse Houston police staffing trends? Experts say there's no easy fix.
The newly inaugurated mayor says Houston needs more police officers on the street, but he’s been light on detailed plans for making it happen.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Developers are close to building a huge solar farm in Sunnyside. Now comes the tricky part.
As Efrem Jernigan surveyed the young men attending a solar installation training session on his plot in Sunnyside, he spoke about his dreams for the land nearby. The 240-acre former city dump across Reed Road did not look like much. Stunted trees covered the property and tires littered the edges. Someday soon, however, private developers […]
Posted inPolitics & Government
At Mayor Turner's last meeting, Houston City Council OKs divisive airport contract change
The proposal, which has been fiercely criticized by Houston's Mayor-elect John Whitmire, passed on a 9-7 vote after a sometimes contentious debate.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Delay of airport contract change sets up high-stakes vote at Turner’s final council meeting
Councilmember Mike Knox delayed a vote on the airport measure, setting up a high-stakes vote during the final council meeting of Turner’s term.
Posted inElections
Money and messaging: How John Whitmire secured a big victory in Houston mayor's race
Whitmire campaign insiders say they always thought they had the better of Jackson Lee, but ran as if they had a competitive race on their hands.
Posted inElections
Whitmire's lopsided win in the Houston mayoral runoff came amid low turnout, results show
The low turnout in the runoff election – only 17 percent of Houston voters in Harris County cast ballots – continues a trend in local elections.