What is Port Houston?
Port Houston is the public navigation district that owns and operates public terminals along the Houston Ship Channel. Its legal name is the Port of Houston Authority. It is governed by Chapter 5007 of the Texas Special District Local Laws Code. The district is based in Harris County.
Port Houston owns and operates eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel.
How did Port Houston begin?
In 1911, Harris County voters approved $1.25 million in bonds to pay the local share of dredging the channel. That vote led to the formation of the Harris County Houston Ship Channel Navigation District, known today as Port Houston. The plan to share the cost between the region and the federal government was called the Houston Plan.
The dredge TEXAS finished widening the channel on September 7, 1914. On November 10, 1914, the opening of the Houston Ship Channel was observed at the Turning Basin. President Woodrow Wilson marked the opening from Washington, D.C., by firing a cannon by remote control.
What terminals does Port Houston operate?
Port Houston’s facilities include:
- Barbours Cut Container Terminal
- Bayport Container Terminal
- Multi-purpose, breakbulk and project cargo facilities
Who governs Port Houston?
A port commission of seven commissioners governs the authority. State law sets the appointing bodies:
| Appointing body | Seats |
|---|---|
| City of Houston (including the chair) | 3 |
| Harris County Commissioners Court | 2 |
| City of Pasadena | 1 |
| Harris County Mayors’ and Councils’ Association | 1 |
The Pasadena appointee must live in Pasadena. The Mayors’ and Councils’ Association appointee must live in a smaller Harris County city next to the ship channel. Commissioners serve staggered two-year terms. No one may be appointed after serving the equivalent of 12 full years.
If an appointing body misses its 45-day deadline to fill a seat, the law allows another entity to make the appointment. If that also fails, the governor may appoint, with the consent of the Texas Senate.