Tag Archives: deficit

Trash subsidy will not be trashed

From the inbox: After weighing the budgetary impact and obtaining input from City Council, Mayor Sylvester Turner has decided not to pursue elimination of subsidies to homeowners associations that opt out of City trash collection services. Under the program, which … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

So far, so good for Mayor Turner

That’s the general consensus of his first four-plus months in office. Faced with a $160 million budget shortfall that would leave some wringing their hands until deadline day, Mayor Sylvester Turner presented his plan a month ahead of schedule. The … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mayor Turner delivers State of the City 2016

Here’s the press release. Flooding, pensions, City finances and public safety were front and center as Mayor Sylvester Turner delivered his first State of the City before the Greater Houston Partnership. In a major move designed to produce tangible results … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Kill that trash subsidy

Works for me. Mayor Sylvester Turner, working to close a $160 million budget deficit, has proposed scrapping payments that scores of Houston neighborhoods served by private trash haulers receive to help offset the cost of their waste contracts. The idea … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

First look at how HISD will balance its budget

Seems to be fairly well-received. The Houston school district’s interim superintendent on Thursday rescinded his proposal to reduce funding for gifted students amid concerns from parents and board members. At the same time, Ken Huewitt proposed bolstering the budgets of … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Turner announces his budget

From the inbox: Utilizing a shared sacrifice approach, Mayor Sylvester Turner today unveiled a proposed Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget that eliminates a projected $160 million shortfall that was the result of cost increases, voter imposed revenue limitations, a … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Have I mentioned lately that the revenue cap is stupid public policy?

Because it is. Sales taxes are Houston’s second-largest source of revenue for the general fund, which pays for most core services. Just as concerning for city officials, however, was more news about the city’s largest general fund revenue source: property … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor Turner releases transition team report

From the inbox, a glimpse of what to expect in the near to medium future from Mayor Turner. Mayor Sylvester Turner has released a 17-page report that details the work of his transition team chaired by businessman and long-time civic … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Turner releases transition team report

Lawsuits and low oil prices

Both are threatening the next Texas budget. Last week, lawyers for the state of Texas got the latest in a string of bad legal news. A lawsuit challenging the state’s foster care system as inhumane appeared to gain steam when … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s not easy going green

And by “going green” I mean legalizing pot, at least in Texas. Advocacy groups and lawmakers say marijuana policy reform in Texas could be the fiscally responsible thing to do in light of the state’s decreasing oil and gas revenues. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Prepping for the city budget

Mayor Turner gives a brief preview of what is to come. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Friday that he expects to lay off 40 city employees and eliminate 54 vacant positions as he seeks to close a budget shortfall of as … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recycling contract impasse

Uh, oh. The city of Houston’s curbside recycling program could be put on hold after negotiations between Waste Management and Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office reached an apparent impasse over a new contract Tuesday. Though Turner said he remains committed to … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

RIP, One Bin For All

It had a good run, but at the very least the timing was all wrong. The One Bin For All program would let Houstonians throw all trash in the same bin, to be separated for recycling later. The hope was … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Layoffs are coming

It’s gonna suck, though hopefully not as hard as last time. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday that a still undetermined number of city employees will be laid off in the coming months, making his first formal acknowledgment that Houston’s projected … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Things are tough all over

HISD faces a big deficit: Houston ISD leaders are bracing for a projected $107 million budget shortfall that, in a worst-case scenario, could prompt the district to slash jobs. During the school board meeting Thursday, however, officials pledged to try … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Circling back to city finances

I have three things to say about this. This time, [City Finance Director Kelly] Dowe insists, the $126 million deficit he projects for the budget year that starts next summer is not going to disappear, as past projected shortfalls have. … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

City deficit not as big as feared

This is a nice surprise. A huge budget deficit looming at City Hall – which has spurred talk of layoffs, service cuts, new fees and higher taxes – has been cut in half, relieving some pressure to scramble together a … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Searching the couch cushions for loose change

That’s basically what this is. To say the city of Houston is working to cut a looming $120 million budget deficit one color copy at a time would not be accurate. It’s more like millions of color copies. Cellphones no … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

McClelland wants more money for more cops

And I want some answers before we go along with this request. Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland asked city leaders Tuesday for an additional $105 million over five years to hire hundreds of new officers as part of a plan … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Chron for Collier

Add the Houston Chronicle to the list of papers endorsing Mike Collier for Comptroller. [Sen. Glenn] Hegar knows politics; Collier knows the numbers. In our view the choice is clear: Texas needs the numbers man, not a politician who wants … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Chron for Collier

Collier keeps up the attack

I really like the way he’s running his campaign. Democratic comptroller nominee Mike Collier says his Republican opponent Glenn Hegar bragged to a Houston-area tea party interviewer last year that he was proud of the Legislature’s 2011 budget cuts to … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Collier keeps up the attack

Bell op-ed for eliminating the revenue cap

More like this, please. A decade ago, Houston voters restricted city property tax revenues to the combined rates of inflation and population increases. Like most arbitrary rules that politicians apply to math, this revenue cap sounds like a great idea … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

TM talks to Mike Collier

He’s a really impressive candidate. What I’ve been surprised by in the past two years is how much farther right the state has gotten, even compared to someone like Rick Perry, who has, I think, been conservative by any normal … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TM talks to Mike Collier

More details on the House budget

Consider this to be written in pencil, because it’s going to change. More than $1.6 billion and disagreements on how much Texas should spend on public education and Medicaid separate the budgets proposed by the House and Senate. The Senate … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More details on the House budget

More on sunsetting tax expenditures

I say again, this is a good idea that really needs to happen. The Texas tax code is rich with tax breaks. There are tax breaks for industries relocating to the state and for anyone with an Internet connection. Tax … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Senate committee restores some money to public education

Emphasis on the “some”. Texas public schools would get back a chunk of the $5.4 billion in state funding they lost two years ago under a budget proposal adopted by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. But they probably should … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate committee restores some money to public education

Supplement this!

Time for the Lege to pay a few past-due bills from 2011. That’s where a supplemental budget comes in. It is literally a second budget added to the original one lawmakers approved in 2011. It’s not an unusual course for … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Supplement this!

Crocodile tears over the school finance lawsuit

This is little more than blaming the victim. A state judge is expected to rule next week on whether the school finance system is broken, but lawmakers aren’t anywhere near ready to launch repairs. Instead, Republican leaders plan to wait … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Crocodile tears over the school finance lawsuit

Another reason why spending caps are a bad idea

There are many reasons why, but this is one we haven’t encountered before. Several political observers well-versed in the state’s finances say that lawmakers could hit the state’s spending limit this session, complicating efforts to access the $11.8 billion in … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The revenue estimate is in

And under normal circumstances it would be very good news. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, laying out the parameters for state spending on the eve of the legislative session, said Monday that the rebounding Texas economy gives lawmakers $8.8 billion unallocated … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Two minus five is still less than zero

It’s nice that Speaker Joe Straus wants to restore public education funding, but let’s be clear about what that means. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said Friday he’s committed to pumping billions of dollars back into the state’s public schools, … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two minus five is still less than zero

How the so-called “fiscal cliff” might affect Texas

There is of course a very simple way to avoid this. If President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans cannot avoid tripping off the edge of the so-called fiscal cliff, then the Texas budget could be more than $1 billion short … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Plaintiffs rest their case in school finance lawsuit

Phase one is over. Hundreds of districts suing the state over its school finance system wrapped up their case Wednesday with testimony that largely blamed the Legislature for creating the current funding crisis that stripped away an unprecedented $5.4 billion … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Plaintiffs rest their case in school finance lawsuit

Eight billion dollars

That’s how much is needed per year to make public education whole. Lynn Moak told state District Judge John Dietz that it will take more than $8 billion a year in additional money to get students on target to graduate … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment