The city of Houston approved $11.4 million to replace aging, broken-down garbage trucks and modernize its long-neglected solid waste department.
City council members voted Tuesday to allocate $11.4 million to upgrade the department with new vehicles and equipment. Mayor John Whitmire emphasized the long-standing neglect the department has faced, stating, “Solid waste was buying used trucks which would stay broken, so we are trying to rebuild a solid waste department.”
Vehicle issues are just one part of a broader set of challenges. According to 3-1-1, the city’s complaint reporting system, missed trash pickups rank among Houston’s top citizen complaints. Highlighting the issue, KPRC 2 reported that one employee has been using a rental truck—marked only with a city sticker—since November 2024.
Whitmire also criticized the department’s previous leadership. “There was a leadership team in solid waste when I took over that was, for lack of a better word, was complacent. No, I don’t have patience… I ran for mayor to fix things, and I don’t have time to waste.”
Former Solid Waste Director Mark Wilfalk resigned late last month. At the time, he stated, “Houston residents deserve to have a 99% on-time service delivery rate. That’s the standard in the industry. That’s what we’ve always been chasing after. And if the city of Houston continues on the path that Mayor Whitmire set them on … they’ll get there.”
Now, just over a month after Wilfalk’s departure, the Houston City Council has approved the funding. The $11.4 million will go toward purchasing:
- 10 Heil automated side loaders for recycling collection and improved service delivery – $4.46 million
- 9 side loader vehicles for recycling collection – $3.88 million
- 8 rear steer loader vehicles for bulk waste collection, storm debris transport, and illegal dumping cleanup – $2.07 million
- 3 rear loader vehicles for collecting and disposing of storm debris – $880,600
- 4 forklifts for handling large container loads – $168,156
The solid waste department isn’t the only city agency under scrutiny.
Just weeks ago, Whitmire announced a joint investigation by the public works department and the Houston Fire Department after a warehouse fire was made worse by two inoperative fire hydrants. According to HFD, 320 hydrants are currently out of service, with hundreds more needing urgent maintenance due to overgrown vegetation, missing caps, and similar issues.
Pointing again to mismanagement under prior administrations, Whitmire remarked, “Previous administrations, they just declared success… ‘Everything is fine.’ Well, when you get on the scene, you’ll find things are not fine.”
