Mayor highlights Ernst & Young efficiency study, $2 billion state-backed overhaul of George R. Brown footprint and notes loss of public servant

The mayor said the city will use an Ernst & Young efficiency review as a roadmap for “making major city government work” and that state leaders have shown interest in Houston’s reform plans.

“It's gonna take some time, but the Ernst and Young report now will be our map,” the mayor said, adding that the review will lead to “tough decisions in coming weeks” intended to improve services for Houstonians.

The mayor framed the effort as a structural change in how city government operates, citing layers of management and workforce demographics: “40% of our supervisors supervising three or fewer people. … 2,800 people eligible for retirement,” he said, as part of an argument for reorganizing positions and responsibilities.

On downtown redevelopment, the mayor said state legislation passed about two years ago authorizes up to $2 billion in state resources for work on the footprint of the George R. Brown Convention Center. “Up to $2,000,000,000 in state resources will be used at the footprint of George R Brown,” he said, describing plans for more green space, an additional hotel, a promenade through the convention center and a roughly 30-acre cap that would link the East Side to central Houston and complement Discovery Green.

The mayor urged attention to a public rollout of the George R. Brown plan, saying it will “transform Downtown Houston” and that the project is expected to be substantially expanded and ready for the 2028 National Republican Convention.

He also described recent federal-level outreach tied to the city’s reform work: staff met in Washington with leaders at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation to discuss the city’s efficiency agenda, the mayor said.

On transit and major events, the mayor said preparations for the 2026 World Cup are ongoing and described efforts to improve Metro stations and service reliability, including shared policing responsibilities: “We'll have HPD officers sharing responsibility with Metro police,” he said, and urged cleaner, on-time rail and bus service.

The mayor opened his remarks with a personal note about a “loss of a public servant,” referencing someone who had “fought a courageous battle with his illness.” He said he received calls early in the morning and that family and team members confirmed the news; he also said he had seen the person recently and that the individual “looked fine.” When asked about specific medical details and a hospital visit, the mayor said he did not know the diagnosis and that the timeline and particulars were “not specified.”

The mayor closed by urging attendees to “hug your loved ones and appreciate your friends” and said staff would continue to present the efficiency recommendations to council and state committees.

No formal votes or motions were taken during these remarks.