Houston City Council vote on $1.5 billion firefighter deal delayed by a week

The deal would give firefighters $650 million in back pay for the seven years they worked without a contract under former Mayor Sylvester Turner, and they would also get at least a 24% raise over the next five years. .

Whitmire placed the deal on the council’s agenda Wednesday, along with his $6.7 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in July. His administration plans to use reserve funds to get through the first year, before considering additional revenue sources, such as a hike in the property tax rate or trash collection fees.

Council members planned to score both points, a procedural move that delays the vote for a week. But before they could do so, Comptroller Chris Hollins said his office had not certified the fire department’s agreement for review.

The comptroller, the city’s independently elected oversight body, certifies that the city has the funds to pay for agenda items before the council votes. He said his office did not have time to complete this week’s financial review.

“The fire department agreement is incredibly important and extremely burdensome in terms of its scale and its impact on the city,” Hollins told Whitmire. “My office first received the collective bargaining agreement and back pay settlement agreement Monday afternoon, so we have had less than two days now to review what is approximately 150 pages. »

But Whitmire quickly intervened: “You understand that it was going to be marked this morning, which would give you an extra week, but obviously you have your responsibilities.”

“Exactly, I have my responsibilities,” Hollins said. “So we need to understand before we move forward, and so far we haven’t had enough time to complete our review.”

Practically, this decision means that the fire regulations could be further delayed next week if a council member decides to mark the article. Hollins will also have to certify the agreement before the council can vote.