The party (which seems odd until you realize what it means being Mayor) was Sunday and the advice on how to spend everyone's tax money came that same day. For the first few days Sylvester Turner's tenure as Mayor is going to be back-slapping and taking a victory lap.
And that's fine. Selfies for everyone. When you try for over 20 years to get elected to a position, and finally get there, some self-congratulations (and some reminders by your friends that you now have the power to make them (very) rich) are in order. As are the reminders from supporters (who think they alone got you there) that they have priorities that you had better address post-haste.
This is politics, and it would be the same regardless of whether or not Sylvester Turner won.
They all overlook what will be the first order of business for Mayor Turner however: Tamping down out-of-control expectations.
Expectations that this political wunderkind is going to step into the office and amaze us with both his political skill, and oratory brilliance, are unfounded. What Turner's going to need to do is assure Houstonians that it's going to be OK because, and we seem to have forgotten this, the budget has a gaping hole in it that's getting bigger.
Turner is going to have to remind everyone of that, and he's going to have to do so without stepping on Annise Parker's toes.
And this is before he even gets his aides to work on actually crafting the budget itself. That is work to be done by the little people, the nuts and bolts work. Turner's true challenge is going to be to assure everyone that the gravy-train of City Hall is going to keep doling out favors despite there being no money to do so. He's going to have to instruct his staff to find ways to support his patronage. Sylvester Turner got elected promising the poor and those who feel disenfranchised that he would fix "two Houstons". He realized all of the time however that the key to retaining power was ensuring the continued well-being of the only one that matters to the ruling class: The one with money. The one that expects to be repaid for it's support with interest.
Turner's supporters will first have to be assured that The Houston Way still works despite the current financial picture. After all, that's why TheMachine worked to get him elected.
The second order of business will be to review the budget that his staffers came up with. How he responds to that will be critical when bumped up against the realities of task number one.
For all that Turner promised on the campaign trail his most difficult job as Mayor will be delivering on what has always been implied.
Until then, selfies and glad-handing, smiles and baubles. Bread and circuses.
Of note: Charles Blain of Empower Texas has penned a good summary of issues Turner will likely look to address during his first term.
