Would you believe it’s been 100 days since Houston elected Mayor John Whitmire? After a long and tumultuous race against US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and more than three months on the job, it’s time to see how Whitmire has navigated the city’s challenges and if he’s on track to deliver on his campaign promises.

Typically, by this point in an administration, a gaffe-prone politician would have provided the internet with a goldmine of comedic material. We’ve all seen the memes and viral videos that ensue when a politician wears a funny hat or endures the endless Twitter jokes about an unappetizing offering of brisket. Remarkably, Mayor Whitmire has steered clear of such mishaps. So far, the candidate has remained stubbornly unmemeable, leaving us yearning for some much-needed comic relief.

Mayor Whitmire’s no-nonsense leadership style defined his first 100 days. Here are the five biggest moments of his tenure so far. (The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for an interview.)

Whitmire made massive public official shake-ups

The new mayor wasted no time implementing sweeping changes across Houston’s municipal landscape, appointing new officials to oversee crucial departments within the first month of his time in office. These changes come after Whitmire repeatedly criticized what he viewed as ineffective leadership during the administration of predecessor, Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Most recently, Whitmire replaced Houston Public Library director Rhea Lawson with Cynthia Wilson, his senior adviser for organizational culture and education. Wilson’s appointment came amid controversy about low morale in libraries across the city, the closure of the Montrose branch, and criticism over the system’s handling of its archives of local Latino history.

One of the most dramatic changes came with the sudden departure of David Fields, the city’s chief transportation planner, a month after Whitmire took office. Although the circumstances surrounding Fields’s resignation remain disputed, an interoffice memo obtained by Axios revealed that he resigned “in lieu of termination of employment.” The mayor’s office maintains Fields was not asked to leave.

The economic development landscape also saw a shift with the resignation of Andy Icken and the subsequent appointment of Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell as the new chief development officer.  Tillotson-Bell’s experience is expected to guide the department in reevaluating the effectiveness of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ), which critics have said keep investment dollars in wealthy neighborhoods.

Beyond department heads, Whitmire appointed a new board for the Houston Housing Authority. This overhaul aims to address perceived shortcomings in the agency’s leadership, particularly regarding the management of Section 8 vouchers. The mayor also appointed Jay Zeidman, a campaign donor and venture capitalist, as the new chair of Houston First Corporation, responsible for promoting tourism and the city’s public image.

Whitmire reached a deal for the firefighters’ contract

After years of protracted negotiations and legal battles, Mayor Whitmire achieved a significant milestone in his tenure by securing a long-awaited deal for Houston firefighters on March 14—a move that ended an eight-year political saga and promises relief to the city’s first responders.

The new agreement offers firefighters a significant financial package. It includes $650 million in back pay that will be spread out over many years (could take another 28 years), permanent raises that maintain the 18 percent increase implemented by the previous administration with a 10 percent raise in July, and additional pay hikes over the next five years.

While the deal brings long-awaited reprieve to firefighters, it also presents a financial challenge for the city. Mayor Whitmire has proposed all city departments, except police and fire (both of which supported him during his campaign), to cut their budgets by 5 percent to help offset the cost.

Whitmire’s decision to remove Houston Avenue medians caused backlash

The mayor found himself in hot water following his decision to remove recently installed medians along Houston Avenue. The move, which will cost the city upwards of $730,000 to reverse a $100,000 project, has sparked criticism from residents and advocacy groups.

Opponents of the median removal argue that the original project, implemented in December 2023, improved pedestrian safety and traffic flow. The medians were installed just weeks after a fatal cyclist accident on the busy avenue. Bike Houston, a local cycling advocacy group, had petitioned for dedicated bike lanes on the roadway. Whitmire attributed his decision to engineering and design flaws in the work that was done.

The financial implications of Whitmire’s decision have sparked further controversy. Many residents are questioning the allocation of taxpayer funds for a project that was intended to enhance street safety, particularly in the wake of ongoing budgetary challenges faced by the city.

With the medians gone and a significant sum spent on their removal, the debate over Houston Avenue’s design continues. Only time will tell how the revamped intersection will impact safety, traffic flow, and the various user groups who rely on this busy thoroughfare.

Whitmire called for an independent review of suspended HPD cases

On March 6, the mayor announced that he would be conducting an independent investigation into the Houston Police Department’s handling of thousands of suspended cases due to a lack of personnel. The revelation that more than 264,000 cases were suspended due to staffing shortages raised concerns about the effectiveness and integrity of HPD’s operations.

Whitmire has appointed an independent review panel that includes former city councilmember Ellen Cohen, captain Jeff Owles of the Texas Rangers, Office of Policing Reform and Accountability deputy inspector general Christina Nowak, Reverend T. Leon Preston II, and city attorney Arturo G. Michel to oversee the investigation process. Their tasks include ​​analyzing the suspended reports that date back to 2016, identifying the model used in the cases’ handling, and verifying that the information obtained by HPD is correct.

Throughout the investigation process, the committee will be accountable to the mayor and the residents of Houston. Hopefully, their findings and recommendations will provide crucial insights into the systemic issues within HPD and help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Whitmire met with the president

President Joe Biden’s visit to Houston on March 21 included a brief but significant meeting with Mayor Whitmire, Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo, and other local leaders, who seized the opportunity to engage in a brief discussion with the president inside Air Force One.

This meeting also resulted in the first photos of the mayor and the judge together, who had not officially met until then. The encounter not only facilitated crucial discussions on pressing local issues but also provided an opportunity for Whitmire and Hidalgo to establish a direct line of communication with the highest levels of the federal government. Still no memeable gaffes, though.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Whitmire appointed Alexandra del Moral Mealer to the Metro board. He did not; she is a Harris County appointee.