Houston Youth Town Hall: Our City, Our Voice - May 12, 2026
Houston Youth Town Hall: Our City, Our Voice - May 12, 2026
On May 12, 2026, the Mayor's Youth Council and City of Houston Youth Ambassadors hosted the second annual youth town hall, titled "Our City, Our Voice," at Houston City Hall. The event aimed to increase Houston youth's understanding of local government, foster meaningful conversations with decision-makers, and empower young people to make an impact in their communities. Councilmembers from Districts D, E, and I participated in a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session with youth both in person and online.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mariam Kahn (9th grader, Youth Ambassador) asked what easy ways youth outside the inner city can help Houston. Councilmember Martinez suggested engaging with nearby civic associations, churches, or starting initiatives; Councilmember Flickinger added volunteering at church social ministries; Dr. Shabazz emphasized joining team sports to build teamwork skills.
- Andrew (8th grader) asked Dr. Shabazz how hard it is to be a city council member. She responded that it is not easy—requiring a heart for service and sacrifice—but love for the work makes it worthwhile.
- Denzel (11th grader) asked Councilmember Flickinger how the city will address educational funding concerns for students. He clarified that education funding is a state function, not a city responsibility.
- Michael asked Councilmember Flickinger what challenge the next generation will inherit that current leaders haven't fully solved. Flickinger cited financial challenges, infrastructure (especially water/sewer under a consent decree), and long-term pension obligations. Michael also asked how to prepare students for evolving energy and job markets. Responses highlighted that fossil fuels will remain significant but that Houston should also invest in clean energy, technology, logistics, and the medical sector. Panelists emphasized diversification and the importance of trade skills and community colleges.
- Andrew Miras (9th grader) asked how to enhance academics in elementary schools. Councilmember Martinez noted limited city role but mentioned Harris County Department of Education's after-school programs; Dr. Shabazz stressed early interest inventories and relevant curricula; Flickinger cited personal contributions via scholarships and highlighted community college opportunities, including port-related trades with free training.
- Eric Pace (11th grader) asked how to make political discussion less taboo and more accessible among youth. Dr. Shabazz recommended joining school political organizations and youth branches of groups like the NAACP. Flickinger urged removing vitriol and recognizing that disagreement does not make someone a bad person, criticizing gerrymandering for polarizing politics. Martinez advocated meeting youth where they are (e.g., bike rides, mock city council sessions) and announced plans for a young adult civics 101 program.
Discussion Items
- Youth Engagement Round: Dr. Shabazz described offering paid internships in her office and funding after-school programs. Councilmember Flickinger said young people can play a role in community safety by doing the right things and influencing peers. Councilmember Martinez outlined steps for youth to propose solutions: research the issue, connect with his office, use public session, and follow through.
- Youth Initiatives & Public Service Round: Dr. Shabazz shared her path from educator to councilmember, including a 16-candidate race against the rapper Scarface, and urged youth to work on campaigns. Flickinger emphasized making District E a better place to live and work, noting Houston's strong financial management relative to other big cities. Martinez credited his middle school basketball coach and mentor Johnny Soto for teaching him that "one clown doesn't make the circus" and that his time in office is finite, motivating him to pour into young people.
- Quality of Life Round: Dr. Shabazz encouraged youth to organize community cleanups to build pride and reduce litter and crime. Flickinger described median cleanups in Kingwood where youth work alongside him, building relationships. Martinez reframed "at-risk" as a lack of exposure and urged youth to mentor younger students, especially in elementary schools, to provide experiences they might not otherwise have.
Key Outcomes
- Councilmembers repeatedly encouraged youth to get involved in civic activities such as internships (paid, per Dr. Shabazz), volunteering on campaigns, joining civic associations, and participating in community cleanups.
- Several concrete initiatives were highlighted: paid internships in Dr. Shabazz's office; median madness cleanups in District E; and a planned civics 101 program by Councilmember Martinez.
- Youth were directed to connect with the Mayor's Youth Council and Youth Ambassadors for ongoing involvement.
- The event concluded with remarks from program leaders Ebony Jones and Johara Jackson, who thanked participants and emphasized that youth voices are vital to Houston today.
- Notably, no formal votes or policy decisions were made; the town hall was purely informational and engagement-focused.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everybody to our, I'm not gonna say second annual, but this is our second youth town hall we've had presented by Mayor's Youth Council and Youth Ambassadors. We want to welcome all of our attendees, youth, parents, um, our um elected officials who have agreed to either speak or be on our panel. We want to appreciate you for coming out and being here today for Houston's youth. Our youth are very important. There's many kind of communities. There's geographical communities, but there's also demographic communities, and youth is definitely a community in the Houston area and an important one. Some of you may be um voting age already, some of you may not, but in getting ready to vote and getting ready to participate in civics, I think this is very important and very important for your elected officials to be accessible to you in order to prepare you and answer any questions you may have or curiosities you may have about their job and how it affects you. Um I think many people forget about civics and we think about government. We watch CNN and Fox all the time, and all you see is the feds, right? Well, local government affects your life more than any other layer of government you can come in contact with. So I just employ you to take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions that you may have, even if it's things you may not think. Like, I want to ask this question. There's no such thing as a not good question. They're all really good questions. So while you have them, you might as well ask, ask them the questions, right? So I want to thank first of all, um, Ms. Ebony and Jahar for the hard work they put into this event. Thank you guys so much. We appreciate their work because without them, this couldn't happen. Our team members is what makes it happen, not me, right? So without further ado, we have our MCs for the night, um, Kayla Horn and Clayton Wilburn. Okay. Before we go to us, we're gonna introduce Christian from Koya and then um Helene from the Mayor's Youth Council. They have a few words to speak. Good evening. How's everyone doing today? Thank you all for being here. We are very excited to welcome you all to City to City Hall for the R City, our voice youth town hall. My name is Christian Gonzalez. I'm a junior at MacArthur High School and a City of Houston Youth Ambassador. As part of the City and Houston Youth Ambassadors or COIA, I, along with my peers, work with the Mayor's Office of Education and Youth Engagement to develop youth-led projects that center youth voices and address issues affecting Houston youth. This year, we worked on projects around public safety, college and career resources, mental health, and we also publish the second season of another step for youth podcast. I serve my city as part of the mental health committee. If you have not already, follow our mental health awareness campaign on the mayor's office of education's Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. I'm inspired to be a youth ambassador because I feel I understand and know my community, being born and raised here in Houston, and I like giving my thoughts and opinions on situations throughout the area. Today, the City of Houston youth ambassadors join the Mayor's Youth Council to host the R City, our voice youth town hall in hopes of increasing Houston's youth understanding of local government and civic leadership, connect with our discussion makers and meaningful conversations and empower youth to make impact in their communities. Thank you so much, Christian. My name is Helene Wang, and I am currently a junior at Kerr High School, and I also serve as the vice chair of the Mayor's Youth Council, which is modeled after the elected Houston City Council. The NYC provides valuable experiences to its members in the workings of city government. Think about it like to acknowledge and appreciate all the Houston youth leaders present today, including outing votes, The Way Home youth action board, International leadership of Texas, high school for law and justice, North Shore Middle School, Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Victory Early College High School. And did I miss anyone else? Okay, perfect. It is exciting to welcome all of you guys here today, and thanks again for making the time and effort to be here. I also want to acknowledge the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods and Mayor's Office of Education Youth Engagement for holding the event today. And special thanks to the Department of Neighborhoods Director Herbert Sims and the Mayor's Youth Mayor's Count Office of Education Youth Engagement Director Olivera Yankovska and the Office of Neighborhood Engagement Division Manager Paul Green. And with that, I'd like to introduce the Department of Neighborhoods Director Herbert Sims again. They just brought me back up here to um tell Christian how much I like his boots. No, but now here are your MCs, Kayla and Clayton. Good evening, everyone.
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