“How many problems can this current mayor have? He’s incurring — what I would call — a loss of faith,” Rice University political science professor Bob Stein said. “Particularly among white progressive voters who supported him.
“But yet, on the other hand, this whole Finner problem is a complete loss of trust in mostly communities of color, lower class communities and disproportionately women," Stein added. "Whitmire’s not talked about how he’s going to solve that.”
Whitmire announced his acceptance of Finner’s retirement in a late-night Tuesday email to city employees. This notification came roughly hours after Finner took to X to address reports of an email circulating from 2018 that included language about cases that were thrown out due to a lack of personnel.
Finner said although the phrase "suspended lack of personnel" was included in the email, nothing alerted him to the existence of a code or how it was applied within the department.
Finner had 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 because of its limited workforce.
Stein said that in addition to losing Finner, Whitmire has 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 Finance Director, responsible for the budget and other city financial operations.
Whitmire addressed Finner’s decision to step down at Houston City Council on Wednesday, saying that accepting his retirement was tough 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 to the department.
Several local advocacy groups took issue with department personnel looking into their agency’s operations, questioning whether it could be conducted impartially.
“I think many of these civil rights groups felt like they had an ally in Finner. He was highly popular with the people,” Houston-based civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen said. "That is probably generally why Finner was able to weather this particular instance for the time he did.”
“But once again, when you take an objective look at what we’re dealing with, over 260,000 cases were set aside,” Kallinen added. "That is an astronomical amount.”
Kallinen had previously called for Finner to step down from the investigation. However, Kallinen said, it was a matter of time before Finner was out. He described the email from 2018 as the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Whitmire selected Larry Satterwhite, former executive assistant chief, to serve as the active police chief until he chooses a permanent replacement, whether Satterwhite or an out-of-town contender.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Satterwhite was quick to give credit to his predecessor, saying he respected the 34-year department veteran.
"He did do everything he could I think to help, so I really want to acknowledge that and thank him," Satterwhite said. "He was the one who did promote me to executive assistant chief in 2021."
Local leaders also flocked to Finner’s support, including former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, with whom Whitmire notably shares a somewhat tumultuous relationship, referring to the ex-chief’s decision to step down as a loss to Houston.
Turner also shared a cryptic post about discrediting an individual’s work and leadership before removing that person who did an excellent job from their position.
Chief Troy Finner gave 34 plus years of his life to HPD. For the last 3 plus years he led the largest police force in the Southwest through some challenging and divisive times and under his direct leadership crime has trended down. His departure is a loss to HPD and our City. st
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) May 8, 2024
Before you can remove someone who has done an excellent job and liked, you must seek to discredit that person’s work and leadership. Those who serve especially in elected positions and leaders who advocate for the greater good of our community need to find their voices. 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 wrapped up last week. Whitmire said he had launched his own independent investigation to review the department’s operations. He has yet to disclose any potential finding from this separate probe.
Tensions are also high among Whitmire and Houston City Council members over the firefighters' settlement. According to Stein, Houston controller Chris Hollins entered the dispute after Whitmire canceled a budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting because he did not want Hollins to report to the committee that there were other ways than a bond to handle the settlement.
More recently, Whitmire has been at odds with the council over Proposition A, a charter amendment that allows three or more council members to put an item on the agenda.
This measure was approved by two-thirds of Houston-area voters and publicly supported by Whitmire — who is now walking back his previous stance. Stein noted that this is not the only thing Whitmire was reversing course on.
Whitmire is dismantling several road infrastructure change projects that he claims impede traffic. Many residents looking for more bikeways and protections for bicyclists and pedestrians are not thrilled by the latter.
“How does a man who gets elected by 63 percent of the vote and spends almost two to three months doing nothing to prepare for taking over the city, then when he takes it over stumbles at every step?” Stein said. “I think there’s a bait and switch here, and Whitmire is going to — already has — suffered for that.”
“At what point can he continue to blame the previous administration?” He added. “Which may be legitimate. I'm not here defending or attacking Whitmire. But I don’t think it’s been a good run for him.”
Whitmire’s job rating is decreasing among what Stein refers to as the “polar groups,” or people of color and white progressives. But he said it’s also declining with the more conservative voters who initially backed Whitmire.
Stein noted that Whitmire’s big test is in June, when he will have to work with other city officials to devise Houston's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
“At this point, he is ill-equipped and understaffed,” Stein said. “Being a legislator and being an executive is really worlds apart, and Whitmire is proving that overwhelmingly,” Stein said. “He thinks he is being a state senator when he stands in Rice Memorial and says, ‘I talked to my neighbors, and they don’t like this roundabout.’”
“Mayor, it’s not your neighbors that matter, nor your opinion. It’s the voters' opinion.”
