Houston’s mayor lost some power. That’s a good thing. (Opinion)

Houston City Council must approve everything from the city’s budget to board appointments, but what each item they consider has in common is this: For it to get council, it has to appear on the weekly agenda. 

And up until November, only the mayor controlled the agenda. Proposition A on November’s ballot amended the city’s charter to allow any three council members to place an item on the weekly agenda. It makes it easier for ideas to bubble up from councilmembers’ constituents to city policy. It’s hard to get the mayor’s attention; it’s easier to get your council member’s.

Houston Charter Amendment Petition Coalition, a bipartisan group I helped lead, was behind the effort to get this proposition in front of voters two years ago. But as you might expect, the mayor and his staff didn’t like any loss of the mayor’s power. Rather than embrace an opportunity for city council to lead on reforms, the administration crafted a plan of attack and delayed the measure.

Via an open records request, I obtained an email written by Mayor Sylvester Turner’s director of government relations, Bill Kelly. Kelly noted that support for the measure included a union and the Democratic Socialists. Even so, he wrote, “This would be advantageous to frame as an attack on a progressive city coordinated by conservative interest.”

Ultimately, though, the mayor’s team lost. Last month, when voters got a chance to decide, 83% voted yes.

Since the change has taken effect, we’re already seeing the difference it makes.

Houston Public Works had often estimated water usage and then, after the meter was actually read, back-billed the customer for the difference. The department was allowed to back-bill for up to two years. 

Customers who reasonably thought they were paying their water bills on time were suddenly hit with bills totaling thousands of dollars. And for more than a year, customers have been showing up to council to complain of unreasonably high water bills.

Peck’s proposal limited back-billing to three months unless the correction is in the customer’s favor. “Now that council members can place items on the agenda, I intend to offer items like this that make a real difference to people,” she tweeted.

Less than four hours after Peck’s press release on her proposed ordinance, the mayor’s office issued a statement claiming that his administration had “worked on comprehensive changes” over the last few months to address this issue.

Maybe so. Or maybe the council members’ use of their new power got the mayor’s office to act.  

One local TV news outlet reported the changes came after “months and months of telling us there were no real problems and saying less than one percent of all bills are inaccurate each month.”

Local governments often claim to work for the people they serve, but too often citizens who aren’t a part of a large industry group or civic association have their concerns brushed aside.

The change took longer than it should have. But now, when citizens carry their concerns to their council members, the council members can’t fall back on the excuse that only the mayor controls the agenda. That used to be true — but it’s not anymore.

Charles Blain, a frequent contributor to the Houston Chronicle, is president of the Urban Reform Institute, a think tank that promotes opportunity and social mobility.