Houston Mayor Whitmire had a rocky start?

Houston-area political science expert says Houston Police Chief Troy Finner’s choice to abruptly resign amid ongoing problems surrounding hundreds of thousands of suspended cases has more to say about leadership of Houston John Whitmire than on that of the leader.

“How many problems can this current mayor have? He’s experiencing — what I would call — a loss of faith,” said Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University. “Particularly among white progressive voters who supported him.

“But on the other hand, this whole Finner issue is a complete loss of trust in communities of color, lower-class communities and, disproportionately, women,” Stein added. “Whitmire hasn’t talked about how he’s going to fix this.”

Whitmire announced his acceptance of Finner’s retirement in an email sent Tuesday evening to city employees. This notification came about a few hours after Finner took X to respond to reports of an email circulating from 2018 that contained information about cases being dismissed due to lack of staff.

Finner said that while the phrase “suspended staffing shortage” was included in the email, nothing alerted him to the existence of a code or how it was being enforced within the department.

Finner previously told the public that he was unaware until 2021 that the Houston Police Department had used a code to suspend more than 260,000 cases that the department could not handle due to limited staffing.

Stein said that in addition to losing Finner, Whitmire lost his housing and public works directors. He added that the only department head Whitmire appears to have firmly in place is Melissa Bukowski, Houston’s chief financial officer, responsible for the city’s budget and other financial operations.

Whitmire addressed Finner’s decision to resign from the Houston City Council on Wednesday, saying accepting his retirement was difficult but in the best interest of Houstonians. He added that the investigation into the suspended cases — initially launched by Finner in February — had become disruptive for the department.

Several local advocacy groups took issue with department staff reviewing their agency’s operations, questioning whether it could be conducted impartially.

“I think a lot of these civil rights groups felt like they had an ally in Finner. He was very popular with the people,” said Houston-based civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen. “That’s probably why Finner was able to overcome this particular situation for the time he did.”

“But again, if you look objectively at what we are facing, over 260,000 cases have been put aside,” Kallinen added. “It’s an astronomical amount.”

Kallinen previously asked Finner to recuse himself from the investigation. However, Kallinen said, it was only a matter of time before Finner was out. He described the 2018 email as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Whitmire tapped Larry Satterwhite, former executive deputy chief, to serve as active police chief until he chooses a permanent replacement, whether it’s Satterwhite or an out-of-town candidate .

At a news conference Wednesday, Satterwhite was quick to pay tribute to his predecessor, saying he respected the 34-year veteran of the department.

“He did everything he could to help, so I really want to recognize him and thank him,” Satterwhite said. “He’s the one who promoted me to executive assistant chef in 2021.”

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Larry Satterwhite will serve as interim police chief in Houston.

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Local leaders have also flocked to Finner’s support, including former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, with whom Whitmire notably shares a somewhat tempestuous relationship, calling the ex-leader’s decision to resign a loss for Houston.

Turner also shared a cryptic message about discrediting an individual’s work and leadership before removing this person who did an excellent job from his position.

Chief Troy Finner dedicated more than 34 years of his life to HPD. Over the past three years he has led the South West’s largest police force through difficult and conflicting times and, under his direct leadership, crime has fallen. His departure is a loss for HPD and our city. st

– Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) May 8, 2024

Before you can fire someone who has done excellent and appreciative work, you must seek to discredit that person’s work and leadership. Those in elected office and leaders who defend the common good of our community must find their voice. st

– Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) May 8, 2024

Finner’s statement in response to the email said he would remain committed to sharing the results of the investigation into the suspended cases, which concluded last week. Whitmire said he launched his own independent investigation to examine the department’s operations. He has not yet disclosed the potential results of this separate investigation.

Tensions are also high among Whitmire and Houston city council members over the fire regulations. According to Stein, Houston Comptroller Chris Hollins became conflicted after Whitmire canceled a meeting of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee because he did not want Hollins to report to the committee that there were other means than a guarantor to manage the payment.

Most recently, Whitmire disagreed with the council over Proposition A, a charter amendment that allows three or more council members to place an item on the agenda.

The measure was approved by two-thirds of Houston-area voters and publicly supported by Whitmire – who is now reversing his previous position. Stein noted that’s not the only thing Whitmire has changed course on.

Whitmire dismantles several road infrastructure modification projects that he says impede traffic. Many residents looking for more bike lanes and protections for cyclists and pedestrians are not enthusiastic about them.

“How can a man who is elected with 63 percent of the vote and spends almost two to three months doing nothing preparing to take the city, then, when he takes it, stumbles at every step?” » said Stein. “I think there’s a bait and switch here, and Whitmire will – and already has – suffered for it.”

“At what point can he continue to blame the previous administration? He added. “Which may be legitimate. I’m not here to defend or attack Whitmire. But I don’t think it was a good journey for him.

Whitmire’s employment rating is declining among what Stein calls “polar groups,” meaning people of color and white progressives. But he added that figure is also down among more conservative voters who initially supported Whitmire.

Stein noted that Whitmire’s big test will come in June, when he will have to work with other city officials to develop Houston’s budget for the next fiscal year.

“At this point it is poorly equipped and understaffed,” Stein said. “Being a legislator and being an executive are truly different worlds, and Whitmire proves that overwhelmingly,” Stein said. “He thinks he’s playing the role of a state senator when he stands at the Rice Memorial and says, ‘I’ve talked to my neighbors and they don’t like that traffic circle.'”

“Mayor, it’s not your neighbors that count, nor your opinion. This is the opinion of the voters.