In a significant reshuffling of Houston's City Hall brass, Mayor John Whitmire accepted the resignation of Public Works Director Carol Haddock, a move announced to City Council members in a recent letter.

Haddock, who has been a figure of civic duty in Houston for the last 18 years, bowed out from her post, missing the scheduled presentation on water bill issues during a City Council meeting, which, instead, was delivered by Public Works Chief Operating Officer Randy Macchi, according to KHOU 11 News. In the wake of Haddock's departure, Whitmire has appointed Richard Smith as the interim director, putting him in control of all the engineering-related decision-making for the department.

Despite the change in leadership, Public Works continues its mission to improve the city's infrastructure and services with a focus on water management, Macchi informed the council members that the accelerated pace of water meter replacement is promising, but there is a concern about the impact of summer heat and potential severe weather, saying “We're pacing ahead of schedule, but we also know that we need to make sure that we have some weeks where we're ahead of schedule because summer weather can be unpredictable, particularly as we get into hurricane season,” as reported by KHOU 11 News.

Mayor Whitmire has swiftly made significant changes since his term commenced in January, restructuring the leadership in key city departments including Public Works, housing, airports, finance, planning, and neighborhoods, with Haddock just the latest in a series of leaders leaving their roles, her tenure distinguished by being the first woman to lead the department as well as navigating it through multiple crises such as Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Residents faced with high water bills and drawn-out permitting process can expect the supposed changes promised by Whitmire during his campaign to come to fruition, with the mayor already implementing a new water bill plan that uses historical usage to estimate charges and seeking greater transparency in city affairs. A Public Works employee has even been under investigation for alleged misconduct involving waterline maintenance contracts, an issue highlighted amid Whitmire's call for a more transparent governance.