HeidiPP: You have always served
the community in some capacity: 27
years in the Texas House as the rep-
resentative for District 139, on the
House Appropriations Committee
for 21 years, as Speaker Pro-Tem for
three terms, and more with a stellar
record. What inspired you to serve as
Mayor of Houston?
Mayor Turner: First, I am a native
Houstonian. Second, I grew up in
a community underrepresented and
underserved for decades. You want to
see improvements? One of the ways
is to become a part of the municipal
government and address the commu-
nities that have been under-resourced
for decades like the 5th Ward, 3rd
Ward, Denver Harbor, Sunnyside,
and even out in Ft. Bend, to make
sure that they are not overlooked.
There are many ways to do it. One of
the many ways is to be the manager
and CEO, the Mayor of the City of
Houston. The policies come through
the Mayor’s office; the implementa-
tion comes through the Mayor’s of-
fice; and ultimately, the appointments
of department heads are made by the
Mayor; and the budget is set by the
Mayor with the approval of the City
Council.This gives you a front row
seat for a limited period of time. You
try to be as impactful as you can in
the time you have been allotted.
HeidiPP: So, your advice to some-
one who wants to effect change in
their community would be to?
Mayor Turner: To become a part of
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