Although the ice brought by this weekend’s winter storm is expected to soon recede, the relationship between County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor John Whitmire shows no signs of thawing.
In a series of dueling news conferences, the pair provided separate updates to residents as emergency resources were activated in response to the near-record-low temperatures. Hidalgo said that, despite multiple offers to host a joint event as a show of unity, the mayor’s office repeatedly declined to appear alongside the county judge.
Hidalgo said her staff even offered to host the conference at a place and time of Whitmire’s choosing, which was declined. A spokesperson for her office said they reached out ahead of Hidalgo’s Thursday news conference — one day prior to the mayor hosting his own news conference Friday afternoon…