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2015 Elections for Mayors and City Councils

Municipal Elections

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2015 Elections

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Note: Cities listed in this box are those among the 100 largest in the United States that held elections in 2015.

The city of Houston, Texas, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A runoff election was held on December 12, 2015, in races where no candidates received simple majorities. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 24, 2015. All 16 city council seats were up for election.^[1]

The mayoral election took center stage with candidates debating the city's public pensions and the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). A 13-candidate field included seven candidates identified as frontrunners based on fundraising, invitations to candidate forums and inclusion in limited polling: Chris Bell, Stephen C. Costello, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Marty McVey and Sylvester Turner. Turner defeated King in the runoff election on December 12, 2015. All seven candidates agreed on reforming pensions though disagreed over policy. Hall was the only candidate to oppose HERO's passage. Learn more about these issues here.

Mayor[edit]

Candidate list[edit]

Note: Incumbent Annise Parker was term-limited.

To read the candidates' stances on top priorities, public pensions, HERO and the police department, click on the blue links in this sentence.

Runoff election candidates:

• Bill King
• Sylvester Turner a

Election results[edit]

Sylvester Turner defeated Bill King in the runoff election.

Mayor of Houston, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sylvester Turner	50.2%	104,639
Bill King	49.8%	103,961
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		208,600
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Mayor of Houston, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sylvester Turner	31.3%	81,735
Bill King	25.3%	65,968
Adrian Garcia	17.1%	44,758
Ben Hall	9.5%	24,805
Chris Bell	7.4%	19,345
Stephen C. Costello	6.7%	17,546
Nguyen Thai Hoc	0.9%	2,325
Marty McVey	0.5%	1,378
Demetria Smith	0.5%	1,234
Victoria Lane	0.3%	908
Rafael Muñoz Jr.	0.2%	515
Dale Steffes	0.1%	302
Joe Ferreira	0.1%	240
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		261,059
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Polling[edit]

Runoff election[edit]

General election[edit]

City council[edit]

Candidate list[edit]

Election results[edit]

Houston City Council District A, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Brenda Stardig Incumbent	84.3%	13,756
Iesheia Ayers-Wilson	15.7%	2,559
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		16,315
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council District B, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jerry Davis Incumbent	63.3%	11,520
Ben White Jr.	15.5%	2,830
Kenneth Perkins	12.6%	2,292
Vince Duncan	6.1%	1,104
Isaac Mayhorn	2.5%	464
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		18,210
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council District C, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ellen Cohen Incumbent	67.9%	25,258
Carl Jarvis	22.0%	8,181
Michael McDonald	10.1%	3,739
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		37,178
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council District F, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Le	40.4%	4,322
Richard Nguyen Incumbent	34.1%	3,650
Kendall Baker	25.5%	2,734
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		10,706
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Steve Le defeated incumbent Richard Nguyen in the runoff election.

Houston City Council District F, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Le	51.4%	4,203
Richard Nguyen Incumbent	48.6%	3,969
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		8,172
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council District G, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Greg Travis	51.2%	16,198
Sandie Mullins Moger	48.8%	15,467
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		31,665
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council District H, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Karla Cisneros	35.0%	4,867
Jason Cisneroz	23.3%	3,238
Roland Chavez	21.9%	3,039
Abel Davila	19.9%	2,764
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		13,908
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Karla Cisneros defeated Jason Cisneroz in the runoff election.

Houston City Council District H, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Karla Cisneros	54.9%	5,485
Jason Cisneroz	45.1%	4,513
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		9,998
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council District I, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Robert Gallegos Incumbent	57.3%	7,041
Herlinda Garcia	42.7%	5,250
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		12,291
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council District J, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Laster Incumbent	43.6%	3,157
Jim Bigham	21.2%	1,533
Manny Barrera	20.8%	1,509
Dung Le	14.4%	1,045
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		7,244
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Incumbent Mike Laster defeated Jim Bigham in the runoff election.

Houston City Council District J, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Laster Incumbent	64.7%	3,672
Jim Bigham	35.3%	2,004
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		5,676
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council At-large Position 1, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Knox	24.8%	47,529
Georgia Provost	14.8%	28,438
M. "Griff" Griffin	12.9%	24,763
Tom McCasland	12.6%	24,220
Chris Oliver	11.4%	21,951
Lane Lewis	10.5%	20,096
Jenifer Rene Pool	8.6%	16,448
James Partsch-Galván	4.5%	8,557
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		192,002
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Mike Knox defeated Georgia Provost in the runoff election.

Houston City Council At-large Position 1, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Knox	51.7%	87,191
Georgia Provost	48.3%	81,507
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		168,698
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council At-large Position 2, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
David W. Robinson Incumbent	32.6%	60,447
Willie R. Davis	22.6%	41,844
Eric Dick	19.2%	35,521
Andrew Burks Jr.	13.6%	25,217
Moe Rivera	12.1%	22,382
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		185,411
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Incumbent David W. Robinson defeated Willie R. Davis in the runoff election.

Houston City Council At-large Position 2, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
David W. Robinson Incumbent	54.5%	89,678
Willie R. Davis	45.5%	74,944
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		164,622
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council At-large Position 3, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michael Kubosh Incumbent	60.2%	108,322
Doug Peterson	25.5%	45,772
John LaRue	8.0%	14,410
Joseph McElligott	6.3%	11,346
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		179,850
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Houston City Council At-large Position 4, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Amanda Edwards	34.9%	67,261
Roy Morales	16.9%	32,563
Laurie Robinson	16.4%	31,628
Evelyn Husband Thompson	13.4%	25,880
Matt Murphy	9.2%	17,722
Larry Blackmon	5.8%	11,101
Jonathan Hansen	3.3%	6,444
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		192,599
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Amanda Edwards defeated Roy Morales in the runoff election.

Houston City Council At-large Position 4, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Amanda Edwards	61.5%	106,126
Roy Morales	38.5%	66,372
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		172,498
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Houston City Council At-large Position 5, General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jack Christie Incumbent	46.0%	83,663
Sharon Moses	24.2%	44,091
Philippe Nassif	19.1%	34,765
J. Brad Batteau	10.6%	19,362
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		181,881
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

Incumbent Jack Christie defeated Sharon Moses in the runoff election.

Houston City Council At-large Position 5, Runoff election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jack Christie Incumbent	58.4%	96,218
Sharon Moses	41.6%	68,456
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting)		164,674
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Council districts[edit]

Below is a map of Houston's council districts in 2015. There were 11 districts on the council along with five at-large seats. Each district elected its own representative on the council. The five at-large members were selected by voters in all districts to represent the entire city. Click the map to return to the candidate list.

Issues[edit]

Bond issue[edit]

See also: Does a mayoral candidate in Houston have a plan to sell junk bonds?

During the mayoral runoff campaign, candidate Sylvester Turner released a radio ad claiming that opponent Bill King planned "to sell billions of dollars in junk bonds." Ballotpedia found that, while King announced plans to sell bonds to pay for infrastructure projects and Houston’s pension obligations, these bonds would be considered investment grade bonds, not junk bonds. Read the full analysis of this statement here.

Mayoral runoff[edit]

A crowded field of 13 mayoral candidates angled for two spots in the runoff election on December 12, 2015, rather than seeking outright victory in November. A June 2015 poll from Houston Public Media showed 53 percent of voters were undecided with none of the top seven candidates receiving more than 15 percent of the vote. A candidate needed 50 percent plus one vote to avoid a runoff election.^[3] This race to the runoff created a dynamic among candidates geared toward knocking off perceived frontrunners.^[4]

Seven mayoral candidates were identified as serious contenders based on fundraising and polling: Chris Bell, Stephen C. Costello, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Marty McVey and Sylvester Turner. As of October 24, 2015, these candidates totaled $9,448,152.05 in contributions and $9,754,782.72 in expenditures. The following charts compare fundraising statistics for the top seven candidates:^[5]

Contributions[edit]

Expenditures[edit]

Cash on hand[edit]

Endorsements[edit]

King and Turner received endorsements for the runoff election from candidates who failed to advance from the November general election. King received an endorsement from Chris Bell, surprising local political observers given King's conservative supporters and Bell's liberal background.^[6] Turner received endorsements from Stephen C. Costello and Adrian Garcia.^[7][8]

Turner also received the endorsement of outgoing Mayor Annise Parker after the mayor did not offer an endorsement in the general election. Parker's endorsement stemmed from their shared support for ReBuild Houston and the equal rights ordinance that was rejected on November 3. The Campaign for Houston, which opposed the ordinance, endorsed King in the runoff election.^[9][10]

September 29 candidate forum[edit]

Issues in the 2015 Houston municipal elections
Race background
Mayoral runoff
September 29 candidate forum
Clashes over Harris County Sheriff's Office
Candidate stances: Priorities
Public employee pensions
Background
Texans for Local Control
Candidate stances: Pensions
Houston Equal Rights Ordinance
Background
Campaign finance for HERO
Candidate stances: HERO
City police shortage
Background
Candidate stances: Police shortage

A September 29 forum hosted by the Hobby Center for Public Policy offered a venue for leading candidates to challenge each other with direct questions. The forum was highlighted by Garcia's decision to leave the event before candidates asked each other questions. Garcia cited a scheduling conflict while a moderator at the event noted that Garcia's next event would take place an hour after the forum's conclusion. King, Costello, Bell and Hall took turns criticizing Garcia's tenure as sheriff including the use of an outside consultant.^[11] During the candidate-on-candidate question session, the following exchanges took place:

• Turner questioned King about his proposal to cover the city's unfunded pension liabilities with municipal bonds. King responded that there would be an opt-out clause for pension recipients to receive discounted cash payments, thus reducing the overall liability amount.^[11]

• King questioned Costello about the future of ReBuild Houston, the city's program for street and drainage improvement. Costello was a supporter of the program but the Texas Supreme Court ruled in June 2015 that the 2010 measure approving the program did not clearly describe the drainage fee used for funding. Costello responded, "And until I lose the last court appearance, I will continue to advocate for a program that's been transformative to the city of Houston."^[11]

• Costello questioned Bell about his stance on the city's pensions. Bell said that pension participants should have multiple options including defined-benefit plans and criticized Garcia as a municipal pension recipient and Turner for being "the hand-picked candidate for the Houston firefighters."^[11]

• Bell questioned Hall on his stance on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. In particular, Bell challenged Hall's argument that the ordinance's passage would eliminate the gender distinctions between bathrooms. Hall countered, "Not only will a man have the right to go into a bathroom with a female, but he will also have the right – whether he's heterosexual or transgender – he will have the right to take a shower with you at YMCA and you cannot stop him."^[11]

Clashes over Harris County Sheriff's Office[edit]

Adrian Garcia

State Rep. Sylvester Turner (D) was acknowledged as a likely candidate for the December 2015 runoff by local observers including Democratic consultant Keir Murray.^[4] Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia was considered a likely opponent for Turner in the runoff due to his showing in early polls, leading other candidates to criticize Garcia's tenure as sheriff. In a candidate forum on August 31, 2015, former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell (D) was joined by Bill King and Marty McVey in criticizing Garcia for his office's handling of inmates diagnosed with mental illnesses. This line of attack focused on Terry Goodwin, an inmate who was locked in his cell for two months without refuse collection or medical care.^[12] The Goodwin case resulted in the firing of six employees of the Harris County Jail and an additional 29 staff suspensions.^[13] Bell also questioned Garcia's claims that the sheriff's office stayed at or under budget in four consecutive fiscal years.^[4]

Garcia responded to criticisms of his office's handling of prisoners during an interview with the Houston Chronicle:

Bill King

King took aim at the sheriff's office's clearance rates for rape cases during Garcia's tenure. The clearance rate is the percent of reported cases that are resolved through arrests or charges. King cited statistics that the sheriff's office went from a 53 percent clearance rate for rape cases in 2010 to 24 percent in 2014.^[15] Bell and McVey also criticized Garcia for clearance rates during the August 31 forum.^[16]

Garcia responded to the clearance rates question in a statement on September 25, 2015:

Candidate stances: Priorities[edit]

The League of Women Voters asked all of the mayoral candidates about their top three priorities if elected to office. The following quotes from leading candidates are taken verbatim from the group's Vote 411 voter guide. Click [show] on the right side of the bar to read the candidates' positions.

Comments from Houston's 2015 mayoral candidates on top priorities.

Chris Bell "Houston is a world class city. What we lack is a government to match. As Mayor, I will modernize City Hall, because Houston's government should be as creative and innovative as Houstonians. My data-based plan will use new methods and technology to save you money and solve problems faster. The three top priorities of my plan are: Putting our finances in order – otherwise, we simply can’t deliver the services that Houstonians need. Fixing our mobility crisis and decaying infrastructure – you should be able to safely drive, bike or walk around your neighborhood on streets and sidewalks that aren't broken. Creating safer, livable neighborhoods – we have to crack down on crime, using modern community-based policing to work with our residents, not against them. This election is not about making Houston great. Houston is already great. This election is about who can make our government work. It’s about who has the best solutions; the most groundbreaking ideas; the drive and the vision."[18] Stephen Costello "As your next mayor, we’re going to stop messing around with our problems, and roll up our sleeves and fix them. And that starts with my three top priorities: Fixing our roads and traffic, prioritizing public safety, and protecting taxpayer money. I helped design a citywide effort called ReBuild Houston, which created a more responsible and conservative way to fund road reconstruction and drainage improvements across our entire city. The program has tripled road and drainage repair spending, lowered street and drainage debt by $350 million, and has been done with a conservative "pay-as-you-go" payment system so we don't raise taxes or pass on debt to our children and grandchildren. My pension reform plan, available at costelloformayor.com, outlines how we will get our city finances in shape, put 1,500 police officers back on the street, and provide tax relief for senior homeowners. As a city, we can and must do better."[18] Adrian Garcia "Growing Our Local Economy: Promoting development that creates jobs and benefits all of Houston’s communities - creating opportunities for Houstonians to live, work and play affordably throughout the city. Addressing City Finances: Balance our commitments to city workers and public safety personnel while maintaining core services. Partner with employee groups to develop systems that incorporate technology and best management practices that eliminate waste and redundant operational costs. Integrated Mobility & Transit Solutions: Potholes are a priority, but a comprehensive solution is necessary to effectively address our transit challenges. Part of my plan would include: completing the Bayou Greenways 2020 plan as a part of an integrated, multimodal transportation network; building connectors to trails using utility rights of way; optimizing METRO’s new “ReImagined” bus network; adding additional Bus Rapid Transit routes; and incentivizing commuters to use our mass transit systems."[18] Ben Hall "Candidate has not responded."[18] Bill King "Fix the Streets: Make infrastructure a top priority, and catch up on road and drainage improvements that are long overdue. Start treating neighborhoods equally so that no one is neglected by City Hall. Catch the Crooks: Empower HPD to drive down our unacceptable rates of crime. Last year, the vast majority of burglaries, robberies, and sexual assaults reported in Houston went unsolved. The proportion of serious crimes solved in Houston is well below national averages, and we have to do better. Balance the Budget: Implement sensible, fair pension reform; address excessive overtime costs; close the failed crime lab; use zero-based budgets for every City department. Fight ineffective spending to defend homeowners from endless increases in taxes and fees."[18] Marty McVey "Transportation & Mobility-includes regional mobility plan, strike teams for potholes & repairs, improved infrastructure, more federal funds; Expand Opportunity-recruit national & intn'l business, recruit high tech/clean manufacturing w more living-wage job opportunities, use Economic Development to close competition gap w suburbs, other TX cities & improve revenue situation; Solve Financial Crisis-address pension challenge, increase revenue through Economic Development, improve efficiency (& save tax dollars) through upgraded & new technology, apps; Improve Environment-increase/enhance green space & technology, recruit green business to Houston, increase walkability, urban environment, increase alternative transportation, such as bikes, fixed route trolleys; Also: Improve Public Safety-increase mental health training, more cadet classes, goal of 2 officers per patrol, when needed, incentives to live in city; Fix pet/shelter problems-no kill shelters, urban spay/neuter/feral programs."[18] Sylvester Turner "I am running for mayor to create a safer city, better roads and more economic opportunity for every Houstonian. My priorities also include stronger support for our public schools, responsible city budgets and sound financial management. I would add to that list a challenge that my opponents are not addressing: ensuring that Houston’s progress is truly benefiting all of our communities. We are a world-class city with the resources to meet the fundamental needs of all our families and provide opportunity in every community. But right now, Houston’s economy is working a lot better for some than for others. Economic inequality has sharply increased here over the past 30 years and too many Houstonians are shut out of our prosperity. Our economy is strongest when our middle class is thriving and when all our residents have access to good-paying jobs. Making the long-term strategic decisions that will expand opportunity throughout the city is the key responsibility of our next mayor."[18]

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Public employee pensions[edit]

Background[edit]

See also: Public pensions in Texas

The future of pension plans for Houston's city employees, police officers and firefighters drew significant attention from mayoral candidates. As detailed by the Greater Houston Partnership in a July 2015 report titled "The City of Houston's Finances," pension funding was meeting obligations until city officials and the Texas State Legislature increased benefits in 1995. By 2003, this approach to pension management led to unfunded pension liabilities of $2.5 billion. Contributions to city, fire and police plans as shares of total department payrolls grew from an average of 13.7 percent in Fiscal Year 2000 to 23.6 percent in Fiscal Year 2014.^[20]

The city's Municipal Employees Pension System, Police Officers Pension System and Firefighters Relief & Retirement Fund counted $3.2 billion in total unfunded liabilities as of September 2015. The Municipal Employees Pension System drew attention for exceeding the Texas Pension Review Board's recommendations for funded ratio and amortization. The following table compares basic statistics about pensions funds in the state's biggest cities with definitions for the last three columns available by clicking on the column header:^[21]

Pension liabilities have drawn analyses of the city's fiscal future from local media, think tanks and Moody's Investors Service. According to the Houston Chronicle, the city budget met the recommended payment for municipal and police pensions once between 2002 and 2015. The paper's report also indicated a $350 million recommended payment for 2015, exceeding the year's combined budget for city garbage services, parks and libraries.^[22] The Laura and John Arnold Foundation published a report in August 2015 titled "Swamped: How Pension Debt is Sinking the Bayou City" that criticized city officials for being too optimistic about their projected funding ratios and return rates. The foundation's recommendations included greater local control over pensions and a plan to pay off pension debts by 2035.^[23] In August 2015, Moody's Investors Services adjusted their outlook on Houston's economy from stable to negative while reaffirming an Aa2 rating.^[24]

Texans for Local Control[edit]

An advocacy group called Texans for Local Control asked all of the mayoral candidates to sign the following pledge:

This table details all of the leading mayoral candidates and whether they signed the pledge, refused to sign or did not respond to the group's request:^[26]

Candidate	Status of signature
Stephen C. Costello
Adrian Garcia
Bill King
Marty McVey
Chris Bell	Did not respond
Ben Hall	Did not respond
Sylvester Turner

Candidate stances: Pensions[edit]

All seven candidates supported reforms to city pensions though argued for different approaches to reform. Bell, Costello and Garcia supported a defined-benefits system with greater local control. Turner supported greater local control without addressing the type of pension plan. Hall and King supported considering alternative plans like a defined-contribution system for city pensions while honoring past obligations. McVey supported issuing municipal bonds to pay the existing liability before pursuing reforms. The following capsules quote verbatim the seven leading candidates' positions on pension reform as described on their campaign websites. Click [show] on the right side of the bar to read the candidates' positions.

Comments from Houston's 2015 mayoral candidates on public pensions.

Chris Bell "Our next Mayor must understand the complexities of our financial pressures while working with others toward a comprehensive solution on issues such as public pensions. A large part of the City's fiscal pressure is the uncertainty of meeting the obligations of our three pension systems, with liabilities totaling almost $3.2 billion. As dire as that situation sounds, let's remember that annual pension obligations are only fourth on the list of five of the City's must-meet annual financial obligations. Solving our pension problem by itself only goes so far toward making Houston more efficient and financially solvent. We need a new approach to addressing pension pressures, looking at them as a symptom of the City's larger fiscal challenges. As Mayor, my first priority will be to make sure we're getting the most out of every dollar, ensuring not a dime is wasted. Advances in technology, especially as they are used in financial management, can make government more efficient and as cost-effective as possible. Our personal bank balances are just a mouse click away, and the City can broaden technology to solve almost any problem. My administration will conduct audits throughout the city in every department to reduce costs and create a new, modern government. If government is closer to you, with more interaction through technology, we create efficiencies and improve accountability. I recognize our pension challenges will not be solved overnight, but I'll bring all parties to the table and work toward a system based on the fiscal realities we face. I support a strong defined-benefit retirement system but also recognize we need to reform what we currently have. I won't balance our finances on the backs of the men and women who protect and serve us every day. For their sacrifices, they deserve a secure retirement. We must honor the commitments we have made to all city employees, and we must honor a commitment to taxpayers to give you an accountable and effective City government."[27] Stephen Costello "If Houston doesn’t reform its pension system in a way that is fair to both public safety and municipal personnel as well as taxpayers, and soon, it will face a catastrophic financial crisis. That’s why Steve has taken the lead on a critically important first step to solve this problem, and that’s to return local control of municipal pensions. You see, it isn’t states that go bankrupt, only cities do. And as the state’s largest city and the one with the most pressing pension problem, Houstonians should have the authority to craft their own solution rather than continuing to leave its fate in the hands of typical politicians in Austin. And when talking about local solutions, Steve promises you this – as your mayor, he will finally put an end to the damaging cycle where the City of Houston fails to fund its pensions thereby racking up tens of millions of dollars in new debt. That’s an unfair practice and also a recipe for financial catastrophe. Instead of playing politics on this issue as so many have done, and continue to do today, Steve Costello is going to lead on it. Making sure Houston funds pensions and protects the taxpayer. Houstonians should expect nothing less from City Hall."[28] Adrian Garcia "Houston’s current unfunded liability is estimated to be $3.3 billion. The City is currently contributing 33% of payroll to firefighters’ retirements, which is more than double what they paid before the changes in 2001. Under the proposed budget, the City will pay $302 million in FY2016. That is a 40% increase over the 2014 actual budget. In short: City payments are getting bigger, and the unfunded liability continues to increase. This is not sustainable. It’s easy for some to say pension reform is a local issue, but this isn’t limited to Houston. Currently, a required portion of the solution to our pension issues rests with the Texas Legislature – meaning that Houstonians’ budget decisions are controlled by legislators in Austin. Without pension reform, layoffs will be necessary in order to balance Houston’s budget – which means that fewer potholes will be filled, fewer police officers will patrol our streets, fewer libraries and parks will be available to our communities and fewer businesses will look to Houston as a place to call home. We must begin working now so the next legislative session will see results. The following principles should guide any legislative solutions: Benefits that are already fully earned must be protected; Future benefit construction for current and future employees must be in line with the City of Houston’s financial priorities and constraints; The City of Houston, rather than the State or fund beneficiaries, must control the future benefits of City of Houston employees; There must be full transparency for the Mayor and City Council and of employee benefit plans, including payouts; Pension security requires that the City fully fund the Actuarial Required Contribution every year based on a reasonable assumed discount rate without exception (current discount rates are set at 8.5%, while 7.5% is the national standard). Real reform is needed before the rest of the city must pay the price for this unsustainable situation. Fire, Police and Municipal employees work hard every day to keep this city running. They deserve a sustainable system. However, the pension obligations do not operate in a vacuum. The entire city budget and operations must be examined and re-engineered for the present day."[29] Ben Hall "Our City’s current pension equation is unsustainable. Without immediate attention and significant reform, pension obligations will become more crippling to the City’s fiscal health. There is no silver bullet solution to Houston’s legacy pension obligations. There are, however, ways to reduce the risks and improve the City’s ability to address problems that have plagued us for over two decades. As Mayor, I’ll take the following steps to better control the City’s pension challenges: Immediately strengthen the City’s lobbying presence in Austin to work for needed statutory reform for increased local governance of the City’s pension obligations. Through the present 'meet and confer' process, I will propose a sensible approach to reshape and redefine pension offerings with reasonable city contributions. This is a necessary step to get control of our out-of-control spending. We must recalibrate how we calculate actuarial liability. A better approach to consider is to tie projected pension benefits to actual market performance. The City must begin serious consideration of insuring the second and third decades of projected actuarial liability instead of surrendering to present market investment strategies adopted by the pension boards. This would be a temporary measure to lessen the demands on revenue until we improve our present financial picture. The insurance approach is meaningful only if premium cost-reduction justifies the shift, which initial conversations suggest is possible. Concentrate city government on core services – fire, police, infrastructure – instead of the 23-department behemoth we presently have. The cost savings from this will provide millions of dollars to address pension shortfalls. The City must abandon the current single-highest-pay-period-method for calculating pension obligations. Stop the practice of issuing debt to catch up on pension obligations. Using debt to pay debt is a destructive fiscal cycle that must end. Understand that a single solution – such as a 401k, Defined Contribution, or ERISA Plan – will not suddenly resolve our legacy pension obligations. These approaches can have positive effects on new and current hires, but they will not address the significant obligations to which many employees are already entitled. We must institute a disciplined, pragmatic, and multi-year approach to return our City to financial health. City employees are great assets, and a progressive and multifaceted partnership with citizens, businesses, legislators, and employees is needed to address the pension challenges we face."[30] Bill King "There are those who advocate changing the retirement system for existing employees. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that we claw back benefits because of some abuses, as I noted in previous columns. Certainly in the private sector, existing employees have frequently been transitioned from defined-benefit to defined-contribution plans in mid-career. I believe that, in Texas, a deal is still a deal. Even if you believe that the city and the Texas Legislature made bad deals for the taxpayers when they agreed to the terms of the current pension plans, they nonetheless were the deals made by our duly elected representatives. If we do not like the deals they are making for us, then that is an issue to take up at the ballot box. It is not justification for reneging on the deals they made. So what do we do about the $3.7 billion hole? We extend the payments. Houston has the great fortune of a strong economy, which is likely to continue for some time. We have the luxury of borrowing this money at very low rates and spreading out the shortfall over a longer term. It is not an ideal solution, but if we try to continue making the payments as scheduled, we will either need to significantly raise property taxes or severely cut back city services — and we will not be able to make the infrastructure investments the city will need if it is going to continue to grow. Other reforms can increase the effectiveness of our pension spending while improving the level of service to pensioners: for instance, I also think employees should have the right to opt out of the pension plans at a discounted cash value. Many city employees have told me they would prefer to have control over their retirement accounts. Who would oppose a plan to stop offering city employees defined-contribution benefits? Taxpayers should favor it because it starts fixing the city’s biggest problem while dramatically reducing any budgetary pressure for service cuts and the like. Existing employees and beneficiaries should also favor moving NEW city employees to defined contribution plans because it means they will actually receive the benefits they were promised. The one group that will not like it is the cottage industry that has developed around these pension plans. Last year, the plans doled out $54 million in salaries to pension plan executives, Wall Street investment bankers, lawyers, lobbyists, accountants and actuaries. They will come up with every reason you can imagine to keep the city on the path to financial ruin so that they can keep their noses in the pension trough. President Ronald Reagan once said, "There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right." Continuing to make retirement promises that are not sustainable is not morally right. And it is irresponsible for future taxpayers and future municipal employees. We have all the tools we need to solve this problem, and once we do, we can finally begin to focus our efforts and resources making smart investments in our shared future."[31] Marty McVey "We need new ideas and a new vision for our financial management. I am a business leader with more than 15 years of experience creating new companies and saving existing companies. I have the private sector and government experience to find new ideas and new solutions and then to implement them...The rest of the field has been in and around politics for ten, twenty or thirty years. If they had the solution we would have heard it already...This city is an economic engine in danger of being stalled by our frail financial standing. Our best days, our greatest opportunities, can still be in front of us. I will bring the new ideas and new voice needed to make Houston an even stronger city financially."[32] Sylvester Turner "A stable pension system is an essential protection for the economic health of the middle class. Public employees deserve the secure retirements that were promised them; our city needs to fund essential services; and taxpayers need to be protected. Sylvester supports local control - but to achieve it, we must put our local house in order. Sylvester has a 26-year track record of getting things done in the legislature and have occupied major positions under Democratic and Republican leadership. He knows that state legislators don't want to be put in the position of settling local disputes. They just throw up their hands and refuse to get involved. That's why any meaningful reforms in Austin will require all stakeholders in Houston sitting at the table discussing the city's financial challenges now and into the future. Pension reform will not provide near-term budget relief. Some of Sylvester's opponents are basing their budget plans on reaping hundreds of millions of dollars from pension reform. We must remember that the legislature does not meet again until 2017-and that the earliest any pension reform law could take effect is September 2017. The city will have had to pass two balanced budgets before then - including dealing with a spike in municipal debt in 2017-2018. Others are suggesting that we use pension bonds to reduce the unfunded liability - a proposal that ignores our current debt situation. An all-or-nothing approach will get us nothing - except continued total gridlock - but we can work together to find a solution. We did not reach this unfunded liability overnight and it will take a series of steps to rein in the costs. Take, for example, Texas' Employee Retiree System, which had an unfunded liability of $7.5 billion and a cost to the state of $500 million a year. We made some design changes in a previous session of the legislature. In this legislative session, Sylvester co-authored the bill to make the plan actuarially sound. Sylvester suggests a similar approach - working with all stakeholders to reach common ground - for Houston. Good faith in communication and interaction are essential elements."[33]

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Houston Equal Rights Ordinance[edit]

See also: City of Houston Anti-Discrimination HERO Veto Referendum, Proposition 1 (November 2015)

A referendum on the anti-discrimination ordinance known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) was on the ballot for Houston voters in Harris County, Texas, on November 3, 2015. It was defeated.

In May 2014, with Mayor Annise Parker’s backing, the Houston City Council passed the ordinance targeted by this veto referendum in an 11-6 vote. The ordinance, which was on the ballot as Proposition 1, would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity—criteria not covered by federal anti-discrimination laws—especially "in city employment, city services, city contracting practices, housing, public accommodations, and private employment." The ordinance would have also made prohibitions against discrimination based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information and pregnancy explicit in the city's code. Discrimination based on these characteristics was already prohibited by federal law.^[34][35]

The ordinance was designed to exempt religious institutions and organizations from compliance.^[34]

The law would have made it a Class C misdemeanor to violate the ordinance and would have dictated a fine of between $250 and $500 for each violation. The ordinance was designed to count each day or part-day that "a violation is committed, continued, or permitted" as a separate violation. It would have set a cap of $5,000 on the total amount of fines that could be imposed for the same complaint and victim.^[35]

See also: A study of gender identity and sexual orientation private nondiscrimination laws in America's 100 largest cities

Campaign finance for HERO[edit]

Houston Unites Against Discrmination, a group supporting HERO, raised $1,262,893.30 in contributions, spent $597,299.35 and held $18,494.39 based on campaign finance reports filed 30 days before the election. Campaign for Houston, which is campaigning against HERO, raised $274,785, spent $492,231.11 and held $18,494.39 on hand during the same reporting period.^[36]

Candidate stances: HERO[edit]

The issue of HERO was brought up during a candidate forum on September 12 hosted by the Emerging Latino Leaders Fellowship. Bell, Garcia, Turner and McVey supported passage of HERO during the forum. Costello and King did not attend the forum but expressed their support for HERO in other venues. Hall was the only major candidate to oppose HERO.^[37] The following are quotes from the September 12 forum by several candidates. Click [show] on the right side of the bar to read the candidates' quotes.

Candidate comments on HERO from September 12 forum.

Adrian Garcia Garcia discussed LGBT policies created during his time as sheriff by way of explaining his support for HERO. "Everybody here that is willing to work hard, play by the rules and contribute to the success of our city ought to be respected, supported, protected and well served and I believe HERO does that."[37] Ben Hall Hall criticized HERO's lack of precision as a reason to oppose the measure. "I know better than any of these candidates what discrimination is. I also know what the law requires...I oppose the HERO ordinance because it is a dangerous and bad law. It has an imprecise definition of male and female, therefore it makes people have to turn into gender police."[37] Marty McVey McVey pointed to current employment law's blind spots when expressing support for HERO. "Over 200 cities across the country have similar ordinances...By voting no on HERO, you are unprotecting 13 classes of people which includes veterans, pregnancy, women, people of color. This is access to equal justice. This law allows complaints to be heard in a municipal court."[37]

The following quotes come from candidates who were not quoted in news stories about the forum but made earlier statements about HERO:

Additional candidate comments on HERO

Chris Bell "I strongly believe that a law protecting the rights of all Houstonians is something that we need. The Texas Supreme Court's ruling today on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance will likely place that vote on the ballot for this November. I want to urge all Houstonians to support equality and non-discrimination for all people, and I intend to take that message to every part of Houston. Houston is a diverse city and we succeed when all our citizens have equal protection under the law."[38] Bill King In an interview with Houston Matters, King cited concerns about HERO quoted below but did not express opposition to the ordinance out of concern that rejection of the ordinance would send the wrong message about the city. "Well, I find it very disappointing we're at this particular point in the city's history. I'm afraid we're in for a very divisive fight and I just don't think we needed to be here. This is not a city that hates. This is not a city that discriminates against people. This is one of the most open, welcoming cities there is in America. Nobody in their right mind is in favor of discrimination. If we were being asked to vote on whether we favor discrimination, it would be clear what everyone's opinion would be. We are being asked to vote on a particular 36-page ordinance and a lot of people including myself have problems with this particular ordinance...It's unlike any other non-discrimination ordinance that I could find anyplace in the country, it's a very different ordinance. For example, it has a definition of discrimination to give an advantage or a disadvantage to one of the protected classes...So, veterans are protected under this. If you read this ordinance literally, giving an advantage to a veteran is illegal under the ordinance. Wal-Mart's program to give preference to hiring veterans is illegal under this ordinance. And then, of course, you have the whole issue of sex-segregated facilities. Most of the ordinances have a specific exception for sex-segregated facilities. This one makes any kind of sex-segregated facility illegal." [39] Stephen Costello In an interview with Houston Matters, Costello noted that he voted twice for HERO in the city council including a vote after a lawsuit challenging the ordinance. Here is an excerpt of his response to a question about HERO: "As a businessman, a father, a grandfather of two lovely granddaughters, I support this ordinance. However, that being said, I'm pleased that Houstonians will have the ability and the right to vote on the ordinance and I'm confident that the community will make the right decision." [40] Sylvester Turner "I support the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and am confident that voters will uphold the ordinance. Houston is strongest when we work hard, work together, respect each other’s differences and always put the good of the community first." [41]

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

City police shortage[edit]

Mayoral candidates debated solutions to a police shortage found during a 2014 study commissioned by the Houston Police Department. The study determined that the city employed 5,300 officers for a population of 2.2 million compared to Chicago's 11,900 officers for 2.7 million residents. The report concluded that this shortage contributed to a lack of follow-up investigations for 15,000 burglaries, 3,000 hit-and-run cases and 3,000 assaults in 2013. Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland requested $105 million over a five-year period to improve the department's investigative work during budget talks in 2014 and 2015. Mayor Annise Parker added a fourth cadet class for Fiscal Year 2015 though McClelland requested five cadet classes per year along with more civilian personnel.^[42]

One of the considerations for the mayor, city council and voters in Houston was a cap on property taxes passed by voters in 2004. This cap limited the revenues collected by the city, which were used to fund city services like the police and fire departments.^[43] The limit established in 2004 was the lesser amount of 4.5 percent annual growth from the previous year's budget or the rate of inflation. Voters approved a $90 million increase to the cap in 2006 though this amount was exhausted by 2014.^[44]

Candidate stances: Police shortage[edit]

Here is a summary of the positions taken by the seven leading candidates for mayor on the issue of police shortages:^[42]

Census information[edit]

The table below shows demographic information about Houston, Texas, from the United States Census Bureau.

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Houston Texas Election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• United States municipal elections, 2015
• Houston, Texas

External links[edit]

Suggest a link

• City of Houston website, "November 3, 2015 General Election Candidates"

Footnotes[edit]

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