Mayor Whitmire discusses ‘the state of Houston’ between audience protests at Baker Institute

By Juliana Lightsey     6/1/25 4:59pm

John Whitmire’s remarks on the city’s budget, transportation and infrastructure were interrupted twice by shouts from audience members at a Baker Institute event May 29.  At the event, which was open to the public, Whitmire spoke about the current state of Houston alongside former county judge Ed Emmett.

The mayor opened the talk with a discussion of the city's finances. 

“I inherited a $160 million shortfall,” Whitmire said, referring to the projected deficit the city of Houston faced when he took office in 2024.

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“Houston has really been neglected over the years, by many local stakeholders and certainly by the state of Texas. We need an urban agenda,” he said.

Whitmire recently unveiled his proposed budget of $7 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, which he said will close the city’s current projected deficit of $330 million without raising taxes.

Ten minutes into Whitmire’s discussion of the financial state of the city, two people in the audience stood and shouted at the mayor.

“You’ve budgeted city services with $290 million in budget cuts to parks, transit and health,” one woman said. “You’re leaving us to drown.”

Whitmire’s proposal has faced scrutiny from those who say it balances the budget at the expense of public services. Several voiced these concerns to Whitmire at a city council meeting the day prior to the event, which the mayor referenced after the two women were escorted out of the Baker Institute by HPD officers. 

“That’s never happened here before,” Whitmire said. “I thought I was in the city council for a minute.” 

Whitmire continued his discussion of the city’s financial situation, emphasizing the need to cut back on unnecessary costs while also investing in crime prevention.

“Public safety is my highest priority,” Whitmire said. “Yes, I just gave the police officers a competitive salary with Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.”

Whitmire also mentioned his willingness to work with Republicans such as Gov. Greg Abbott for funding to balance the budget and congressman Dan Crenshaw in order to help improve water treatment plants.

“I’ve been a Democrat my whole career,” Whitmire said. “But I run a city that doesn’t look at your label.”

Emmett turned the conversation towards infrastructure, asking Whitmire to talk about water, given Houston’s susceptibility to hurricanes and tropical storms. Whitmire noted that he was not in charge of the county’s flood control district, but said that despite issues with drainage, the city is preparing for this year’s hurricane season.

“It’s partly [that] our drainage system hasn’t been maintained for years,” Whitmire said. “My job is to have my first responders as prepared as possible…every day we’re getting ready for summer storms.”

In January, the Supreme Court of Texas denied the city of Houston’s appeal in a lawsuit concerning drainage projects. The lawsuit, which was brought in 2019, argued that the city had shortchanged the amount of tax money set aside for drainage and road repair projects. 

The court ruling would have mandated that Houston allocate an additional $100 million for the projects this year, but Whitmire recently announced a settlement with the plaintiffs for a gradual increase in funding instead.

The mayor also discussed transportation issues, saying that he wanted to prioritize roads for the city’s growing population over METRO projects or additional bike lanes.

“I’m not for disturbing mobility when our congestion is growing and growing,” he said. “I’ve got a responsibility to the people that need to get to work and to school.”

Near the end of Whitmire’s remarks, two more audience members interrupted in protest.

“Hurricane season starts in three days, and you’re denying $100 million of flood protection,” one said. “You’re leaving Houston to drown.”

Another called out about the proposed budget cuts to city services.

“You are holding our city hostage, you are stealing money from every single social service that there is,” she said. 

The second set of protestors were also escorted out by officers, and Whitmire concluded the event with a discussion of mental health and the need for public resources to aid the homeless population and criminal justice system.

“They’re common sense resources. You pay now, or you’re gonna pay later,” Whitmire said. “You’ve got me fired up, I’m going to leave here and run back to city hall.” 

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