Tag Archives: HFD

Garbage fee trashed

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not surprised, though I’d have thought it would get more support that this. Houston City Council disposed of a proposed garbage collection fee in a pair of 16-1 votes Wednesday. Councilman Dwight Boykins, who floated the monthly fee as a … Continue reading →

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How would you implement Prop B?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here, from last week, is Mayor Turner’s official announcement about layoffs, following a failure to come to an agreement with the firefighters’ union about a time frame to fully implement Prop B. Here’s the Chron story about the firefighters protesting … Continue reading →

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Garbage fee on the agenda

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think this is going to pass, but it will get a vote. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would put a proposed garbage fee on next week’s city council agenda, but will not vote for it. … Continue reading →

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Firefighter layoffs

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to lay off up to 400 firefighters as he prepares to award pay raises required by Proposition B, the voter-approved charter amendment that grants firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank, according … Continue reading →

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Turner officially announces his re-election bid

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

And he’s off. Mayor Sylvester Turner made it official Wednesday, launching his re-election campaign for Houston’s top elected office. Turner announced the news in a 96-second video that appeared on a revamped campaign website, where the mayor also posted notice … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

City proposes partial pay raise to firefighters

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Progress, of a sort. Houston officials have offered to raise firefighters’ base salaries, but not sufficiently to establish pay parity with police officers as approved by voters, city and firefighter union officials said Wednesday. “In my mind, the proposal makes … Continue reading →

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Back to court for Prop B

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Lawyers for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner filed a motion Friday afternoon seeking to declare Proposition B invalid, contending the voter-approved referendum supporting pay parity for firefighters violates Texas law. The move is the latest in an … Continue reading →

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Firefighters go back to court

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association sought a court order Tuesday aiming to force the city to pay firefighters the same as police officers of corresponding rank and seniority, one day before Mayor Sylvester Turner and the … Continue reading →

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And now we move forward with Prop B

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

No other option. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday his administration is moving forward to implement the voter-approved charter amendment granting Houston firefighters equal pay to police of corresponding rank and seniority, though the city has not yet determined when firefighters … Continue reading →

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Restraining order lifted on firefighter pay referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the planning stage. A state district judge on Tuesday dissolved a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the voter-approved charter amendment granting pay parity to Houston firefighters and denied further attempts by the city and police union to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Trash fee to pay for Prop B?

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Hard pass. Houston City Councilman Dwight Boykins on Thursday proposed charging property owners a monthly garbage collection fee to finance raises for firefighters while avoiding job cuts for other city staff. Under the proposal, most Houston homeowners would be charged … Continue reading →

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From the “Needlessly overstated answers to simple questions” department

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: Tony Buzbee, a Houston lawyer who recently announced his plan to run for mayor next year, has offered to “mediate” a long-running pay dispute between the city and firefighters, one week after … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Undervotes in the city

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve previously discussed non-partisan initiatives at the end of the ballot and how often people have undervoted in them in the past. Now let’s take a closer look at the two ballot items from this year. Dist A Yes A … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

HPOU files first Prop B lawsuit

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And away we go. Courthouse officials were scrambling to find a judge Friday afternoon to hear a lawsuit by the Houston Police Officers Union against the city of Houston and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, that seeks an immediate … Continue reading →

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The legal option for Prop B

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Mayor Sylvester Turner will ask Houston city council Wednesday to hire a law firm to advise the city on possible litigation related to the firefighter pay parity measure, setting in motion a potential court challenge to the … Continue reading →

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Can we negotiate our way to a Prop B agreement?

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration is moving forward with plans for hundreds of layoffs following last week’s voter approval of Prop B despite questions about whether jobs could be saved through renewed negotiations with the city’s firefighters union. […] … Continue reading →

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We’ll have to wait a little longer for the inevitable Prop B lawsuit

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still coming, just not, like, today. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would delay a City Council vote to hire a law firm to represent the city in possible litigation over Proposition B, the ballot item passed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Today is election day

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what we’ve been waiting for, for what seems like forever. From the inbox: Tuesday, November 6, 2018 is Election Day. Voting locations will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit www.HarrisVotes.com, the County Clerk’s election … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: City propositions

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron says Yes on Prop A: Here’s the blunt truth: Voting “against” on Proposition A won’t cut your taxes. It will, however, open the door to more municipal debt. That is why Houstonians should vote “for” Proposition A, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Interview with Mayor Turner

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We finish up our interviews for the 2018 election season with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and a conversation about city propositions A and B. Prop A, which has largely flown under the radar, is the update to Renew Houston intended … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Interview with Marty Lancton

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, there are two city ballot propositions for your consideration. The one that has gotten the most attention by far is Proposition B, the firefighters pay parity proposal. I consider it a core function of this blog to … Continue reading →

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Apparently, that pay parity debate did happen

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I missed the last twist in this saga, but in the end it did happen. After months of trading barbs from a distance, Mayor Sylvester Turner and the head of Houston’s firefighters’ union met in a vigorous but civil debate … Continue reading →

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The pay parity proposal debate that wasn’t

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not get ready to rumble! Houston’s firefighters union has withdrawn from a Saturday debate with Mayor Sylvester Turner on their proposal to seek pay “parity” with police officers, saying the event’s host, the Harris County Democratic Party, had given … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The firefighter pay parity proposal sure seems like it’s going to pass

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What are ya gonna do? Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is holding town halls to try to convince voters that the city can’t afford Proposition B, a ballot measure that would tie firefighters’ pay to that of police. It’s turning into … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments

HFD Chief warns of layoffs

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

To be fair, this isn’t the first time we have heard this. Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña on Tuesday warned of dire consequences — including possible layoffs of more than 800 firefighters and deferred maintenance or upgrades on aging equipment, … Continue reading →

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Town hall meetings for city referenda

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: MAYOR TURNER INVITES CITY RESIDENTS TO TOWN HALL MEETINGS ABOUT THE 2 PROPOSITIONS ON THE NOV. 6 CITY BALLOT Mayor Turner urges all voters who live in the city to learn about the Rebuild Houston and fire … Continue reading →

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Appeals court allows city to post video of pay parity hearing

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Probably doesn’t matter much at this point, but there it is. A Texas appeals court on Thursday ordered a state district judge to rescind his temporary restraining order requiring the city of Houston to remove video from its website that … Continue reading →

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The firefighter pay parity referendum won’t be decided by the voters

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

it will be decided by the courts. Here’s a story out of Austin to illustrate. Former Travis County judge Bill Aleshire has sued the city of Austin in the Texas Supreme Court, challenging the ballot language of a proposition up … Continue reading →

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Firefighter pay proposal officially on the ballot

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As required. Houston voters in November will choose whether to grant firefighters pay “parity” with police of corresponding rank and seniority. After weeks of wrangling over the issue — including angry debates, rare legislative maneuvers and allegations of electioneering — … Continue reading →

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Firefighters file suit over handling of pay parity proposal

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I figured we’d have to wait till after the eventual vote on the firefighters’ pay parity proposal for there to be litigation over it, but no. The union representing Houston firefighters sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and a City Council member … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Council discusses firefighter pay parity proposal

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It will cost some money if it passes. Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said Thursday that his firefighters deserve raises, but he would be hard-pressed to maintain his department budget without reducing his ranks if voters approve a measure granting … Continue reading →

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No quorum for very special Council meeting

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Close, but no cigar. A handful of city council members who organized a rare special meeting to push for a Houston firefighters petition seeking pay “parity” with police to appear on the November ballot fell short of a quorum Friday … Continue reading →

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A very special Council meeting

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew there was such a thing? In a rare maneuver that sidesteps Mayor Sylvester Turner’s authority, five city council members have called a special meeting this week, hoping to force the issue of Houston firefighters’ push for a referendum … Continue reading →

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Firefighters have their signatures

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next act in this drama. A petition Houston firefighters submitted last summer seeking pay parity with police contains enough valid signatures to trigger a referendum election, City Secretary Anna Russell reported to Mayor Sylvester Turner and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments