CITY & COUNTY
News from Houston & Harris County
QUOTE OF NOTE
Police chief: Violent crime down in 2022, auto theft up
Houston City Council will meet for public comment at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 and regular business at 9 a.m. Feb. 15 at City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston. Meetings are streamed at www.houstontx.gov/htv. Harris County Commissioners Court will meet for its regular meeting at 10 a.m. Feb. 21 at 1001 Preston St., Ste. 934, Houston. Meetings are streamed live at www.harriscountytx.gov. MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS HOUSTON At a Jan. 25 meeting, Houston City Council members approved a fee that builders can pay in lieu of constructing sidewalks for new development. The fee of $12 per square foot would pay for not having a sidewalk built and would help avoid “sidewalks to nowhere,” which Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said is when sidewalks are built as part of new construction but do not connect to existing sidewalks. Fee money will go into a sidewalk construction fund expected to rake in $1.7 million annually. HARRIS COUNTY In a split 3-1 vote, Harris County commissioners approved a new climate action plan for the county’s internal operations during a Jan. 10 meeting, setting a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The county is aiming to reduce that chunk of its emissions by 50% without offsets by 2030 as well as reduce electricity usage by at least 5% per year. HOUSTON Houston City Council members voted Jan. 11 to eliminate late fees on items customers return to the Houston Public Library after the due date. The city cited increases in library use among reasons for the change, as well as studies that show late fees can deter library use, especially in low-income communities. “THERE WERE SERIOUS OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT OCCURRED THROUGHOUT ELECTION DAY THAT CALL INTO QUESTION WHETHER THE COUNTY’S FAILURES DENIED VOTERS THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.” ALEXANDRA DEL MORAL MEALER, CONTESTANT IN LAWSUIT CHALLENGING HARRIS COUNTY’S 2022 MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS
BY LEAH FOREMAN
YEAR OVER YEAR Preliminary crime statistics for 2022 show a drop in violent crime, while thefts from vehicles increased.
HOUSTON Preliminary crime statistics for 2022 in Houston show an 8% decrease in violent crime compared to the previous year, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told members of the Houston City Council during a Jan. 11 meeting. The city also saw a 9% decrease in murders, a 9% decrease in robberies, an 8% decrease in aggravated assaults and an 18% decrease in rape over that time. Kidnapping and auto theft increased citywide, but Finner said kidnapping figures are partially attributed to family members of chil- dren who were not legal custodians. The presentation also highlighted an increase in auto theft to 17,694 incidents in 2022, up by almost 1,800 cases from 2021. HPD officials reminded people to lock cars and not leave valuables—especially guns—in plain sight. General theft, which increased by 7% in 2022, often takes the form
Murder 2021: 477 2022: 435 Change: -9%
Violent crime 2021: 28,862 2022: 26,454 Change: -8%
Nonviolent crime 2021: 96,387 2022: 102,998 Change: +7%
Auto theft 2021: 15,901 2022: 17,694 Change: +11%
SOURCE: HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
of catalytic converter theft from vehicles, officers said. Three council members—Abbie Kamin, David Robinson and Robert Gallegos—noted they have been victims of recent auto-related theft. While it was shared that Chicago, a city with fewer square miles than Houston, has a larger police force than the Bayou City, Mayor Sylvester Turner highlighted the hiring of 2,026 new police officers over the course of his administration. Additionally, Finner highlighted a
$10,000 signing bonus for new cadets approved by City Council in 2022, as well as the early success of One Safe Houston. He also highlighted a need for more resources, including for technology and for aiding the mental health of officers. As the state Legislature plans to set its biannual budget, Turner and other City Council members emphasized their wishes for some of the budget’s surplus to be allocated to law enforcement and for officer mental health.
Houston approves funding for various homeless initiatives
21 Republicans file midterm election contests
THE CONTESTANTS Republicans are contesting midterm results in races from Harris County judge to district court judge. Contestant: Alexandra del Moral Mealer (R) Contestee: Lina Hidalgo (D) Margin of defeat: 1.67% Harris County judge Contestant: Chris Daniel (R) Contestee: Marilyn Burgess (D) Margin of defeat: 2.4% District clerk Contestant: Kyle Scott (R) Contestee: Carla L. Wyatt (D) Margin of defeat: 3.26% Harris County treasurer Contestant: Stan Stanart (R) Contestee: Teneshia Hudspeth (D) Margin of defeat: 3.23% Harris County clerk 17 additional contests spanning civil and criminal district courts, county probate courts and county civil courts at law SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
BY RACHEL CARLTON
HARRIS COUNTY Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican candidate for Harris County judge, filed a lawsuit Jan. 6 to contest the results of the midterm election that saw incumbent County Judge Lina Hidalgo win a second term in office. Del Moral Mealer was among 21 Republican candidates to file on the last day allowed by the Texas Elec- tion Code. In a statement posted to Twitter, she said she decided to file the contest after reviewing the post-election report released by the Harris County Office of the Elections Administrator on Dec. 27. In a statement, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee called the contests “frivolous attempts” to overturn votes and said they should not be taken seriously. The contestants are being repre- sented by Elizabeth D. Alvarez with Guest & Gray law firm in Forney. State law does not lay out a timeline for election contests, and it will be up to the judge to set the pace of the lawsuit.
BY LEAH FOREMAN
HOUSTON Members of the Hous- ton City Council approved roughly $9.3 million in funding agreements across its Jan. 4 and Jan. 25 meetings related to homelessness. On Jan. 4, the council approved $1.6 million for nonprofit Avenue CDC to provide assistance to 190 low-income households affected by HIV/AIDS; $409,908 for an agreement with the state focused on youth homelessness; $324,520 for the city’s mobile trauma support partners; $150,000 for the continu- ation of Project Access, a program by Healthcare for the Homeless Houston to provide transportation to health care services; and $130,000 to the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston and Harris County for planning services. On Jan. 25, the council approved a $6.7 million agreement with non- profit Covenant House to go toward a new campus for homeless youth.
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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023
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