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John Whitmire: “Houston is so blessed. 250 year supply of water.”

Featuring: John Whitmire, Nonpartisan | Mayor of Houston | Texas

The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire

Published May 29, 2025 | Video Starts at 29:56

We have to get that water out of that treatment plant across Houston. But folks, I'm being very transparent. We have plenty of water. Houston is so blessed. 250 year supply of water. It's. We've got to repair how we get you that water and it's got to have a backup system. (29:56–30:02)

CLAIM

Asserts that Houston has a 250-year supply of water.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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John Whitmire

“There are 260,000 suspended investigations in Houston.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 14:17-14:27
“We will. Waste with broken water mains today enough to furnish Fort Worth their water for a year.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 27:55-28:02
“Metro's approval rating is 14%.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 41:43-41:48
“Do you know we have a program if you're a foreign resident and if you'll join the US Navy or one of the military, you become a US Citizen.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 51:42-51:53
“I said over a year ago, I think, my second month as mayor, that we were broke.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 05:25-05:31
“The last two city budgets had been balanced with federal Covid funding.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 06:01-06:09
“I inherited, when I was sworn in, $160 million shortfall.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 06:10-06:15
“We have a more severe revenue cap than any other city in Texas.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 06:19-06:25
“Houston's really been neglected for years by many local stakeholders, but certainly the state of Texas.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 06:35-06:46
“Houston is a city of 2.3 million people.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 09:48-09:52
“The gap was 160.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 11:40-11:44
“The lawsuit with firefighters could cost 800 million to 1.2 billion dollars.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 11:59-12:15
“We settled with the firefighters for $650 million.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 12:54-12:59
“The Ernst and Young efficiency study saved $100 million.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 13:17-13:27
“We had to take 80 patrolmen off the streets to work on investigations.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 15:05-15:14
“The governor gave me $36 million to pick up the debris.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 16:07-16:12
“The drainage fee was not being used for infrastructure, drainage.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 17:07-17:12
“We balance this year.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 17:52-17:54
“I just gave the police officers a competitive salary with Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 18:16-18:25
“We got through this year without raising taxes and fees.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 19:43-19:47
“It's going to take eight years, I've discovered, for one reason to fix Houston.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 20:46-20:52
“The voters approved the 3.5% revenue cap.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 21:23-21:27
“If we'd had a four and a half percent state revenue cap last year, we would have received 75 million more in revenue.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 21:35-21:43
“We have a one penny city sales tax and of course metro gets another penny that they share a fourth of us with us on mobility.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 22:47-22:59
“Austin is really digging a big old hole for themselves. They've always depended on ad valorem taxes as a primary source.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 23:22-23:31
“They had $30 billion surplus when they started in January.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 23:40-23:44
“We've lost 2.5 billion since 2015 when the real revenue cap kicked in.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 24:52-24:59
“The drainage is partly. Our drainage system hadn't been maintained for years.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 25:47-25:53
“The flood control district... got to $2.5 billion in bonds two years ago, and they claim they've already gone through it.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 27:12-27:23
“Six months ago, there were 1900 broken water mains. Today it's 1000.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 28:14-28:19
“60% of our water treatment, the water supply that we drink comes out of the east side water plant.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 28:36-28:45
“The east side water plant was built in 1954.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 28:58-29:01
“Austin gave us 100 million, I'm proud to say just last week for a Lynchburg lift station.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 29:40-29:47
“Nobody's gonna create one independent of the Houston Galveston Council.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 37:32-37:38
“It's the source of most of our federal transportation money.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 38:16-38:20
“We're going to put over $500 million in infrastructure in this new budget, more than ever.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 39:26-39:32
“Metro was building things that special interests wanted.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 40:34-40:40
“I'm not for road diet because I don't think that serves our best interest.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 43:31-43:37
“Somebody spent millions of dollars building the bike lanes that no one's using.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 44:35-44:40
“The tragedy in California [resulted in] 10,000 homes lost.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 46:02-46:04
“We're having a World Cup here in a year.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 47:07-47:10
“We're already hearing because of the turmoil in Boston with their universities and their med centers, they're looking to come to Houston.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 47:19-47:28
“We enforce state and city laws. We do not ask you about your immigration status.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 48:29-48:38
“HPD was so professional, emptied a club, held the responsible parties accountable for cocaine and cash everywhere.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 49:07-49:18
“Some of our immigrants are our best and brightest students.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 49:32-49:35
“The immigrant, immigrant communities help make Houston the great city it is.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 49:42-49:47
“We had a police incident four months ago, Southwest freeway, domestic abuse, undocumented lady was being terribly abused.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 50:22-50:34
“Angela Blanchard told me who, you know, ran Baker Ripley, made it the number one social agency.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 52:28-52:36
“I've seen it work during some of our storm recovery. The county commissioner helped the city with debris pickup.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 54:11-54:19
“Commissioner Briones and I are working together on streets and sidewalks in the Gulfton area.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 54:20-54:26
“Houston has an animal shelter. The county has an animal shelter. They really don't collaborate like they should.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 54:32-54:39
“I personally don't think in 2025, we have the luxury of having two of everything.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 54:39-54:46
“We're fixing to get a new health director for the city of Houston. They're already meeting this appointee. She's already meeting with Harris…”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 54:50-55:01
“We're building a fantastic county LBJ hospital. Right up the road. There is a Houston health clinic.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 55:16-55:24
“About 80 of them are inside the city of Houston.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 56:41-56:45
“There are about 80 public safety departments inside the city of Houston.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 56:52-56:59
“Last weekend, we had 75 state troopers in Houston helping HPD with traffic enforcement.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 57:21-57:29
“I almost had a rapid transit, a fast bullet train here in Dallas in 88.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 58:26-58:34
“Southwest Airline [killed the rapid transit project].”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 58:37-58:39
“There's a highway building industry that don't want you to get off the highways.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 58:42-58:49
“We do need mass transit. There's no question.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 59:33-59:36
“This state needs a mental health system to help people get off the street.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 1:02:09-1:02:15
“Our prison system needs to quit releasing people out of prison with nowhere to go.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 1:02:46-1:02:52