Houston Mayor John Whitmire completed a restaffing of the Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone board this week. Over the last year, every member of the seven-person board has been replaced. Each appointment was confirmed by the city council.
Whitmire has worked to reform city government boards since he took office. He previously dismissed and replaced board members of the Houston Public Library Foundation and the Housing Authority as their terms expired.
While the mayor can dismiss board members at the end of their terms without consulting the city council, he needs approval to appoint new members.
Whitmire nominated and the city council approved Katy Caldwell, Elizabeth A. Larson, and T. Ray Purser as new board members for a term set to expire December 31, 2026.
The mayor did not consult with District C City Councilwoman Abbie Kamin who represents the district that is home to the Montrose TIRZ as has been done in the past. Instead, he consulted with former city council member Sue Lovell and others for candidates to replace board members with expiring terms.
Kamin said that she considered the candidates to be “qualified.”
However, she added, “I am concerned that we have now lost all institutional knowledge with this TIRZ.” Nevertheless, she voted to approve the new board members.
The Montrose TIRZ, created in 2015, uses property tax revenue to pay for infrastructure projects in the neighborhood.
The Montrose Boulevard project managed by the TIRZ sparked controversy when the previous board proposed 10-foot shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians requiring the removal of old-growth oak trees, which prompted complaints from citizens.
Whitmire favored a design that kept wider traffic lanes and protected the oak trees. His appointees approved a new plan for Montrose Boulevard with the mayor’s support last year.
The board changes highlight concerns around TIRZ governance in Houston, where independent boards have significant spending power with limited outside oversight.
Last year, Harris County DA Kim Ogg charged Veronica Ugorji, Ken Jones, and Todd Alan Edwards for allegedly stealing $8.5 million from the Midtown Redevelopment Authority TIRZ.
Whitmire kicked off a review of the city’s 28 Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones last December.
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