Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner each named a recovery czar Monday to co-lead the local coronavirus recovery effort, including a plan to relaunch the economy and prepare for a potential uptick in cases if one unfolds.

Hidalgo tapped state Rep. Armando Walle to serve as the county’s recovery czar, hours before Turner announced former Shell Oil president Marvin Odum as his pick to lead the city’s recovery.

The two men said they would work as co-leaders to help Hidalgo and Turner handle the enormous task of coordinating across various levels of government and sectors to recover from the economic crisis.

“We’ll be working hand in hand to represent the people of Houston and Harris County. So, completely complementary,” Odum said. “I think we likely bring different skills to the table, and I expect that to be a very good working relationship.”

Walle, a Democrat, has represented the Aldine-area House District 140 since 2009. He serves on the House appropriations, higher education and redistricting committees and was a state budget conferee in 2019. Hidalgo said Walle understands the needs of the more than 2 million residents of unincorporated Harris County.

“We need someone who will be laser-focused on helping families right now and combating the long-term economic effects and the long-term human impacts of this crisis,” Hidalgo said at a news conference.

Odum, meanwhile, served as the city’s chief recovery officer after Hurricane Harvey before stepping down in late 2018. Turner said Odum’s experience working with local, state and federal officials to secure Harvey aid were among the reasons he chose him for a second recovery czar position.

“From all sectors, he received rave reviews for the team he assembled, the task forces he created and the collaborations that he forged,” Turner said.

The city and county appointed separate recovery leaders to handle the enormity of recovering from the crisis, and to ensure the mayor and judge each have someone who is accountable to them and can speak on their behalf at various meetings, Hidalgo spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said. Both positions are unpaid.

Turner said the coronavirus crisis has had a bigger impact than even Harvey, and acknowleged that he “cannot do everything” and needs “capable, competent, highly qualified folks” to help during the recovery process.

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“I have given him broad discretion and authority,” Turner said of Odum. “Quite frankly, if he speaks, he speaks for me. There’s just that much trust and admiration I have for him.”

The move to appoint two czars mirrors the separate paths Hidalgo and Turner have taken since the local outbreak began in March, despite the united front they have painted in public. They have held separate news conferences and for weeks released case data separately, making it harder to track the virus’ spread here.

Turner also was more reluctant than Hidalgo to curtail bars and restaurants and implement a stay-at-home order, and at first declined to follow the county’s lead in closing parks for Easter weekend before changing his mind.

As the city’s czar, Odum is tasked with developing plans to restart Houston’s economy, avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 after cases peak, and focus on helping underserved communities recover from the impacts of the crisis, Turner said. The mayor also has asked Odum to help the city prepare for future pandemics.

Walle echoed Hidalgo’s pledge to base decisions to remove business restrictions on data rather than arbitrary deadlines. He promised to work with business, nonprofit, philanthropic and faith-based leaders, as well as elected officials across Harris County.

“We need to work together on an inclusive recovery that responsibly ensures the economic health and well-being of the people of Harris County,” Walle said. “We need to save lives and also save livelihoods.”

Harris County’s stay-at-home order, issued by Hidalgo on March 24, expires April 30. Hidalgo said she is eager to reopen businesses and permit travel, but only after the virus has peaked here and widespread testing becomes available.

A coalition of businesses last week pushed local leaders to ease the restrictions on May 1, warning that many firms may not survive more weeks of forced closures.

Including the city of Houston, Harris County had 4,977 confirmed coronavirus cases and 78 deaths as of Monday afternoon. A total of 1,159 patients have recovered.

Hidalgo said the curve of new cases appears to have flattened, an encouraging sign, but the virus has yet to reach its peak here. Health experts predict the apex will be around April 28.

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