ABC13 sits down with Houston Mayor Whitmire about a citywide hiring freeze

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston will implement a citywide hiring freeze this week, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

Mayor Whitmire shared the news exclusively with ABC13 on Wednesday. He told Eyewitness News that the freeze will be implemented this week and "likely" on Friday.

The announcement comes as the city works to whittle down an approximately $350 million projected budget shortfall.

In an effort to combat the shortfall, Houston City Council, under Whitmire's leadership, commissioned an Ernst & Young spend analysis. Whitmire said the spend analysis was commissioned with the intent to "eliminate waste." He said it is serving as a blueprint for cuts such as the hiring freeze.

That report published late in 2024 showed nearly 5,000 vacant city jobs at the time of publication.

About 52% of the vacancies were within the Houston fire and police departments. Whitmire told ABC13 that positions within the two departments will not be impacted.

"Oh no, public safety is not even on the table," he stressed.

The remaining 48% of vacancies spread across several city departments, including solid waste, public works, and municipal courts.

"We have great city employees. We have too many city employees for a city our size," Whitmire said.

The announcement comes at a time when multiple departments, such as public works, are attributing inefficiencies, including missed and late trash pickup to short-staffing.

When asked how the city planned to avoid chaos related to the cuts, Whitmire stressed, "We have a method to what we're doing."

ABC13 contacted approximately a dozen officials on Wednesday. None were able to provide a figure for how much money the move is expected to save, or how long the freeze is expected to last.

The announcement came as members of Whitmire's staff spoke at the first-ever state "DOGE" committee meeting held inside the capitol in Austin.

The committee mirrors President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

Mayor Whitmire distanced himself from the federal committee while speaking with ABC13.

He said his team is speaking about the Ernst & Young spend analysis at the meeting because they were "asked to." He said he hopes their presentation will help other municipalities cut waste.

"Because picking up the garbage is not a Republican or Democrat issue and we have no resemblance to the Washington experience," Whitmire said.

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