Houston passes $6.2B budget, with funds for employee raises and ditch maintenance plan
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner talks to the media in March. City Council on Wednesday approved the last budget of his eight-year tenure.Houston city staff will see pay raises, money will go toward sidewalk repairs and residents won't have to maintain their own drainage ditches anymore. All are part of theThe council voted, 15-2, to approve Mayor Sylvester Turner’s final spending plan, which features the largest net savings in decades.
At-Large Councilmembers Mike Knox and Michael Kubosh voted against the budget. Knox, who has consistently voted no to the past seven budget proposals, said there needs to be a larger reform to ensure Houston’s finances are structurally sound. Kubosh voiced concerns about the uncertain impact of state bills on the city’s financial position.
“Any mayor that comes in has got to deal with the challenges that come before you. For me, I’ve had to deal with unfunded pension liabilities that had not been addressed in 20-something years … and a $160 million budget deficit,” Turner said. “There are a lot of good things in this budget. It not only factors in Fiscal Year ‘24, but it also provides an additional cushion for the next mayor and City Council as they deal with Fiscal Year ‘25.
“No one administration or City Council is to blame for these challenges, but they do require our attention,” Brown said. “We must prepare for the fiscal cliff looming on the horizon.”
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