Historic raises for first responders:
Whitmire's administration struck a deal with the Houston Professional Firefighters Association, ending a bitter eight-year dispute. City Council unanimously approved the agreement, which City Controller Chris Hollins said could cost taxpayers up to $1.5 billion over the next three decades.
The administration also struck a deal with the Houston Police Officers Union. The deal, which is also estimated to cost the city upwards of $1 billion, makes the department the highest paid in the state, according to Chief Noe Diaz.
Street and drainage settlement:
In 2010, Houston voters approved a charter amendment, which established a drainage fee to fund street and drainage improvement projects. In 2018, voters approved an amendment to the 2010 charter amendment, which mandated 11.8 cents of every $100 in property tax revenue be allocated to such projects.
In 2019, engineers Bob Jones and Alan Watson sued the city, alleging it had illegally manipulated the formula by adjusting it in relation to its revenue cap. Jones told ABC13 this resulted in a misallocation of the money and shortchanged the initiative by approximately 40 percent.
The city dragged the suit through court for years.
Earlier in 2025, Whitmire told ABC13 the city would not be taking additional legal action after the Texas Supreme Court denied their motion to appeal in the case. He said he understood the position of the plaintiffs.
The decision meant Houston would need to allocate an additional $100 million to street and drainage projects when the 2026 fiscal year started in July.
However, at the time of the decision, the city was already facing a $220 million budget deficit. The settlement ballooned that number to $320 million.
To cut the deficit, Whitmire worked out a deal with Jones and Watson to ramp up to the intended allocation over time. Under the agreement, the city will allocate an additional $16 million, not $100 million, to street and drainage improvement come July.
The following fiscal year, FY 2027, an additional $48 million will be allocated. By 2028, the allocation will be made in full, according to Whitmire.
An additional $45 million was also allocated to drainage and ditch maintenance through a budget amendment introduced by District B Councilmember Tarsha Jackson.
Cuts to city departments:
City departments were ordered to make cuts across the board and consolidate. An Ernst & Young study served as a blueprint for the reorganization.
The Department of Neighborhoods experienced the greatest funding cut. It's more than $14 million budget was cut in half.
Documents show the department expects "significant issues" with its Gang Prevention and Intervention programs as a result. The department anticipates longer response times and reduced direct support for case management, outreach, and coordination
Cuts can largely be attributed to the fact that the code enforcement work done by the department is being consolidated with the Public Works Department.
However, two council members, who asked to remain anonymous, told ABC13 they are concerned about the consolidation because Public Works is, and has been, short-staffed. Documents show more than 300 Public Works employees retired in May through a citywide retirement incentive package. The package was rolled out by the Whitmire administration in an effort to cut the budget shortfall.
"The City remains committed to addressing gang prevention and intervention. Adjustments have been made to ensure minimal impact on service delivery. To maintain effective programming, we are actively pursuing external funding sources, including interlocal agreements and grants. These partnerships will help sustain outreach efforts, enhance collaboration with community organizations, and ensure continued support for at-risk individuals," Director Herbert Sims told ABC13 in a statement.
The Houston Public Library system's budget will be cut by $2 million. Documents show the cuts will result in reduced security.
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department will reduce ranger patrols because of its $4 million budget cut. The department had also planned to reduce mowing at parks and esplanades. However, District E Council Member Fred Flickinger was able to stop that from happening through a budget amendment.
The Houston Health Department's general fund allocation was slashed by $2 million. The department also lost more than half of its federal funding grants, according to city sources. Documents shared with ABC13 show the department anticipates it will need to scale back everything from mobile vaccination clinics to HIV Prevention and treatment as a result.
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