Slower than expected
Houston acknowledges that he has not accomplished as much as he had planned, but says that’s OK.
“As I look at it, I’m happy with the progress that we’re making,” the mayor says. “I think that things have gone slower than I had expected.”
Asked his greatest accomplishment, Houston says that he has turned city hall into a customer-friendly, professional operation.
“It’s when you walk into the building, when you see the people – the way they’re dressed, the way they operate,” the mayor says. “There’s not a formal dress code. But I think you’ll find on the second morning I was on the job there were a lot more people wearing ties than the day before. … I look at myself as a professional manager. What I’m trying to do is actually manage city government.”
Insiders are split about whether Houston is making adequate progress or has fallen behind in carrying out campaign promises.
Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen says that Houston deserves a year in office to prove himself.
“I think Mayor Houston still has a game plan,” Theilen says. “I think he’s still headed in the right direction. When we get to the one-year mark, we can decide what we think.”
Others aren’t so patient. “My concern is, are we managing by consultants or are we managing by leadership?” Edwards says. “If you’re only going to be in there one term, what cover do you need? Go for it, baby.”
Somewhere between Theilen and Edwards sits Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner.
“I think that he shows a lot of attention to detail, and he really wants to get involved on the nitty-gritty level of what’s going on,” Turner says. “While that’s a good thing on one hand, on the other hand it can tend to slow things down a bit. … I think that it is early. Everybody needs an opportunity.”
Houston blames part of his slower-thanexpected start on the fight to move rail lines from Third Street to the 10th Street corridor. It’s an issue he hadn’t expected to be on the forefront, but he says he has spent more time working on railroad relocation than anything else during his time in office.
“From my perspective, it’s probably one of the most important, if not the most important, thing that I have to deal with,” Houston says.
