Fred Flickinger, Houston city council member for District E, opened the Oct. town hall at Space Center Houston by thanking the venue and outlining a series of local priorities including public safety investment, permitting improvements, and infrastructure spending.

Flickinger said the city will keep the same property tax rate for the third year in a row and that the city collected about $30,900,000 more in property tax revenue than the previous year — “almost 90% of that was generated from new construction,” he said — while stressing that assessed values, not the rate, drive individual bills. He credited an Ernst & Young efficiency study and a voluntary early-retirement program for helping to reduce city payroll and said the administration completed contracts with both the fire and police departments that have supported larger cadet classes.

The councilman described permitting changes aimed at speeding development review, telling residents the city’s goal is to review 80% of plans within seven days and that performance has trended toward that target. He said the city has added trucks to solid waste and recycling fleets and noted recent hiring and training in public safety have reduced equipment outages and improved response measures.

Flickinger gave a district-level account of discretionary spending and capital work. He said District E council offices control roughly $500,000 in discretionary funds and listed allocations including $36,000 for Houston Police Department overtime and equipment in Clear Lake, a Polaris utility vehicle, $50,000 toward supplemental mowing and edging contracts, and approximately $300,000 for panel and curb repairs (including work on Bay Area Boulevard between Saturn Lane and El Camino). He said an additional panel replacement project is planned for Bay Area Boulevard from Brook Forest Drive to Kruger Way and is queued with Public Works.

During a moderated question-and-answer session, Flickinger acknowledged long-running sidewalk work on El Dorado Boulevard is delayed by litigation with a contractor and said the city and county offices have indicated the project is tied up in court. He also addressed complaints about curbside heavy trash pickup, saying Solid Waste had recently placed 25 new trucks into service and that heavy-trash collections remained the department’s last backlog to clear. On median maintenance he said the district fought to keep a 28‑day mowing cycle rather than extend to 45 days, and noted the council’s matching grant program for community beautification projects.

Flickinger closed by reminding residents that 311 is the primary way to report nonemergency city services and encouraged attendees to sign up for the district newsletter for monthly updates.

The town hall included a posted community Q&A and a series of departmental updates that amplified the items Flickinger summarized.