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John Whitmire: “I inherited, when I was sworn in, $160 million shortfall.”

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 06:10

You know, we got a surplus. Everyone knows we didn't have a surplus. The last two city budgets had been balanced with federal Covid funding. So I inherited, when I was sworn in, $160 million shortfall. Pretty intense. Got a revenue cap. We have a more severe revenue cap than any other city in Texas. (06:10–06:15)

CLAIM

Asserts that John Whitmire inherited a $160 million budget shortfall when he became mayor.

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
“Houston is so blessed. 250 year supply of water.”
The State of Houston: A Conversation with Mayor John Whitmire | Uploaded May 29, 2025 | 29:56-30:02
“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
“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