Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner delivers his final "State of the City" address
HOUSTON - With less than 100 days left in office, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner transformed his final "State of the City" address into a retrospective on his nearly eight years in office, citing his leadership during multiple disasters, reform of the pension system, and the "balanced budget" his successor will inherit.
"Instead of a $160 million in the hole, we will give you a surplus of nearly $420 million," said Turner.
The Mayor made no mention of the hundreds of millions almost certainly owed to the city firefighters in back-pay and benefits or the prospect of municipal finances minus the massive subsidy delivered by now-exhausted Federal COVID relief funds.
Aside from multiple major projects either underway or under development, Turner said he was gratified by Houston's global reputation.
"If you go anywhere around the world, Houston is now talked about in the top five, certainly within the top ten," said Turner.
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As for the candidates seeking to be his successor, Turner offered this assessment.
"I listened to one of those debate the other night. I kicked the channel," said Turner.
It's clear why. Criticism of the City's condition and the Mayor's administration was plentiful.
"I am calling on an audit of the Housing department, which not only did the housing director call it a 'culture of corruption', it is being investigated by the District Attorney," said candidate Gilbert Garcia during the Fox 26/University of Houston Debate.
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Final State of the City address for Mayor Sylvester Turner
With less than 100 days left in office, Houston Mayor Sylvester transformed his final "State of the City" address into a retrospective on his nearly 8 years in office, citing his leadership during multiple disasters, reform of the pension system and the "balanced budget" his successor will inherit.
"What they did to the Pappas restaurant chain at Hobby should be criminal. It probably is criminal," said candidate John Whitmire about the City's administration of the lucrative airport contract.
In what was the most emotional of Turner's remarks, the Mayor told Houstonians he had "given them his best", later adding
"I am not anxious to leave and if I could, I'd run again, I would."