What’s this petition all about?

Under our current system, the Mayor has complete control over the City Council agenda. Even if all 16 Council Members want to vote on an issue, only the Mayor has the power to let that happen. It’s common for Mayors to use this power to keep Council Members in line by threatening to block projects in their districts.

This is anti-democratic and suppresses the people’s voice in City Hall. So many important issues haven’t been solved because our system encourages Mayors to put what’s best for their political careers over what’s best for Houstonians.

Our proposal: allow any group of three Council Members to add items to the Council agenda

Fortunately, the people of Houston have the power to change this. We’ve proposed an amendment to the Houston City Charter that would allow any group of three Council Members to add items to the Council agenda.

By signing this petition, you’ll help put this amendment on the ballot and give Houstonians the chance to decide: should our Council Members have the power to represent us, or should we continue to rely on Mayors who don’t need to listen to us?

While mayors come and go, our City Charter stays the same. Let’s use our power to build a more democratic, more functional City of Houston where everyone’s voices are heard.