Houston – It’s a New Year! We have a new Mayor, John Whitmire, and some new council members in the city of Houston.
While there is a changeover in personal, there is not a changeover in ‘Pop-Off Politics.’
This is our weekly segment to help all of you know what’s going on in the fourth-largest city and how the city’s politicians are planning to use your money.
With the changeover in leadership, there is some unfinished business the council will need to address.
New Convention Center and Hotel - same request.
One of those items, ‘Pop-Off Politics’ first told you about in November, is the plans for a new convention center and hotel at Post Houston. That’s the old Barbara Jordan Post Office turned into offices and a food court.
The idea is to build a 21,000-square-foot convention center inside a hotel with 90-200 rooms.
This was tagged before the Turner administration left office.
Ousted council members tell KPRC 2 Investigates Mario Diaz that at the time, the plan sounded good, but incoming council members tell him they know nothing about the plans.
It’s unclear if this will get tagged or voted down during the meeting.
New Vehicle Requests
Houston police are looking to get a couple of new Chevrolet Tahoes for officers. The SUVs may be used for SWAT purposes and replacing some vehicles like Chief Troy Finners.
There is another purchase request that caught our eye. They ask for 28 Chevrolet Tahoes, costing a little more than $1.5 million, and are dedicated to the Houston Airport System.
KPRC 2 asked the city why the airport system needed the SUVs and someone within city hall got back to Diaz saying they needed to ask more questions about the vehicles, too.
While we look at the agenda every week because we know you’re busy, if there is something specific coming up with the City of Houston, email Diaz at mdiaz@kprc.com.