Carol Files
State Senator Carol Alvarado filed for reelection yesterday and here is her statement:
Today I filed for reelection for State Senator, District 6. I look forward to campaigning on my record of service to the voters.
This session, I achieved a personal record-breaking 38 bill passages, including the nation’s strongest catalytic converter law and crucial amendments to the TCEQ sunset bill, amplifying constituent voices in the concrete batch plant permit process.
I will continue to focus on public health, public education, economic development, strengthening our state’s workforce, and creating tools to recruit businesses to relocate to Texas.
I will always continue to stand up to defend attacks against women’s reproductive health, the LGBTQ+ community, and the right to access the ballot.
See the featured photo.
_____
The final mayoral debate was held last night at TSU. It was shown online by Channel 13.
In the opening and closing remarks, State Sen. John Whitmire went positive, and Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee went negative.
On a question on keeping Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, Sen. Whitmire said Finner would be “my chief.” Jackson Lee chided Whitmire for saying “my chief” instead of the “chief of the department” then she ended up saying that Finner would be “my chief.” Way too funny.
I am glad we will no longer be debating her.
_____
KPRC-TV Channel 2 Investigative/Consumer reporter Amy Davis has certainly shaken things up at H-Town City Hall. See this from the Chron:
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is adding water bill reform to his to-do list as he approaches the end of his eight years in office.
Turner announced at a Monday news conference nine separate ordinance changes that will go before city council Wednesday to help water customers.
City residents have struggled in the past with being charged for estimated use of their water instead of their actual use. Some customers have seen water bills as high as $1,000. Houston Public Works typically estimates water usage and back charges after reading residents’ meters, but that process usually takes time.
Among the nine ordinance changes proposed by Turner are removals on the number of times residents can seek the city’s assistance for water leaks, incentives to residents who fix their private leaks themselves and incentives to residents who sign up for online instead of paper billing.
Another proposed change will allow customers who don’t want to use their city water meter to lock it for $150. Customers can have it unlocked for free if they decide they want to use it again. Houston’s water meters automatically transmit household usage to the city’s server, but issues such as aging meters and slow replacements have doubled the number of malfunctioning devices.
Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock said Monday that 125,000 of the city’s 550,000 accounts have to be read manually every month.
“We hear you and we know that we’re going to continue to hear ways to improve as we move forward,” Haddock said. “And we look forward to continuing to hear that, but also know that we know it’s a good day when we can present a plan to the community to help provide relief to everybody, including our most vulnerable Houstonians and our senior citizens.”
Here is the entire read: Houston water bill crisis: Turner reveals plan to help soaring costs (houstonchronicle.com).
I don’t know if what the Mayor is proposing will fix things with the water bill mess.
Give full credit to Amy Davis for this. Remember when the Mayor called her out for being “rude.” She was right, not rude. Nice job, Amy.
_____
Today is the last day to vote early in the City of H-Town runoffs. Please go vote.
