Whitmire announces rollout of 50 new solid waste trucks; mayor touts cost savings from undecorated vehicles

Mayor John Whitmire said on City Pulse the City of Houston will have 50 new solid waste trucks on Houston streets by the end of the month and thanked solid waste employees for their work.

"I'm excited this morning because you're witnessing a bold initiative never carried out by the city of Houston. By the end of this month, we will have 50 new solid waste trucks on the streets of Houston. So I am here to thank these hardworking solid waste employees," Whitmire said.

The mayor's remarks in the broadcast also said the city saved $3,000 per truck by not painting the vehicles, opting instead to apply decals. "We didn't even take time to paint them. And we saved $3,000 per truck with not painting them. So to heck with the paint, we'll put a decal on there," Whitmire said.

The program did not supply procurement details such as the vendor, purchase contract number, contract value, capital budget line or council authorization. Earlier narration referenced the solid waste management department "adding 25 new trucks" as an apparent prior or phased addition; the mayor framed the 50-truck figure as the total expected in service by month end.

No formal council action, vote tally or ordinance was presented in the broadcast. Information on maintenance costs, lifecycle expectations, or route assignments was not provided on-air.