Tag Archives: budget

Five things we could do now for police reform in Houston

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good list to me. Five city council members on Monday sent a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner outlining police reforms they said Houston can implement immediately, including a “complete overhaul” of the Independent Police Oversight Board, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Edward Pollard, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, Independent Police Oversight Board, Jerry Davis, Letitia Plummer, Martha Castex-Tatum, police, Sylvester Turner, Tiffany Thomas | 12 Comments

Wait, you can’t cut that spending!

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is the sort of thing you come up with when you’re out of other ideas. Property tax revenue would be on the line for cities that choose to defund their police departments under a new legislative proposal pitched Tuesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Austin, budget, Dan Patrick, Dennis Bonnen, Greg Abbott, local control, police, revenue cap, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

The cities still need COVID relief

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, in case you’d forgotten. As Congress resumes work on a new coronavirus financial relief package, nearly 100 Texas mayors are pressing the state’s congressional delegation for more funding to address revenue losses incurred due to the economic … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Chris Brown, Comptroller, Congress, coronavirus, Dallas, deficit, economy, Eric Johnson, Houston, quarantine, sales taxes, stimulus, Sylvester Turner, Texas | Comments Off

The state deficit is quantified

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Honestly, it’s not as bad as it could be. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered bleak but unsurprising news Monday: Because of the economic fallout triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the amount of general revenue available for the state’s current two-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, coronavirus, Dan Patrick, deficit, economy, Glenn Hegar, rainy day fund, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Give reformers a seat at the police collective bargaining table

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is a clear path forward. Chas Moore watched in shock one night in 2017 as Austin City Council voted on the city’s proposed police contract. He and other criminal justice reformers had spent months observing contract negotiations and lobbying … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Austin, budget, Chas Moore, collective bargaining agreement, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, police, Sylvester Turner, Tarsha Jackson, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

Here comes the police task force

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Now let’s see them do something. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday announced the appointment of 45 people to a task force that will review Houston Police Department policies for potential reforms. Laurence “Larry” Payne, a former staffer of Mayor Kathy … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged body cameras, budget, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, Independent Police Oversight Board, Lawrence Payne, police, Sylvester Turner, Tarsha Jackson | 1 Comment

HISD passes its budget

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And had their own debate about police funding. Houston ISD trustees Thursday approved a $2 billion spending plan for the 2020-21 school year that includes small raises and bonuses for nearly all employees, a compromise between board members and the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged budget, Dani Hernandez, Elizabeth Santos, Grenita Lathan, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, police, Sue Deigaard | Comments Off

The current status on local police reform efforts

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the budget amendment process didn’t do much. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Adrian Garcia, Ashton Woods, budget, Commissioners Court, Constable, Ed Gonzalez, Edward Pollard, George Floyd, Harris County, Harris County Sheriff, Houston, Houston City Council, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, HPD, HPOU, Immigrant Resource Legal Center, Independent Police Oversight Board, Letitia Plummer, Lina Hidalgo, Mark Herman, police, Rodney Ellis, Sherman Eagleton, Sylvester Turner, Tarsha Jackson, Texas Appleseed, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, United We Dream | 3 Comments

Don’t forget about school police

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe we can take another crack at breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. Several social justice organizations called Monday for Houston ISD to eliminate its police department and contract with local law enforcement agencies, whose officers would respond only to emergency situations … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged budget, Children’s Defense Fund Texas Earl Carl Institute, Disability Rights Texas, George Floyd, Grenita Lathan, handguns, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, Kathy Blueford Daniels, ONE Houston, Santa Fe, Sue Deigaard, Texas, Texas Appleseed | 3 Comments

Budget amendments and a fight over police reform

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s your City Council agenda for today. City council members have authored more than four dozen amendments to Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed budget to trim spending, create new sources of revenue and expand police accountability measures. Council members will take … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Abbie Kamin, Amy Peck, budget, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Dave Martin, David Robinson, Edward Pollard, Election 2019, George Floyd, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, HPOU, Jerry Davis, Karla Cisneros, Letitia Plummer, Martha Castex-Tatum, Mayor, Robert Gallegos, Sallie Alcorn, Sylvester Turner, Tiffany Thomas | 1 Comment

Executive action on police reform

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday announced he would sign an executive order to enact some immediate reforms aimed at curtailing police violence, including requiring Houston officers to give verbal warning and exhaust all other options before firing … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged 8CantWait, budget, CAHOOTS, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, HPOU, Letitia Plummer, police, Sylvester Turner | 4 Comments

Time for a task force

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A good step, but it needs to be followed by real action. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to appoint a task force to review Houston Police Department policies amid growing calls for reform following local and nationwide protests over the death … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Art Acevedo, budget, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Edward Pollard, George Floyd, Houston, HPD, Letitia Plummer, police, Sylvester Turner, Texas, Tiffany Thomas | 1 Comment

There won’t be furloughs after all

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A slightly confusing bit of good news. Houston will not need to furlough roughly 3,000 city employees nor cancel its police cadet classes in the upcoming budget year, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin announced during a city council budget committee … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Chris Brown, Congress, coronavirus, Dave Martin, deficit, Houston, Houston City Council, layoffs, sales taxes, stimulus, Sylvester Turner | 2 Comments

How low can sales tax collections go?

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

If we’re lucky, no lower than this. Texas collected about $2.6 billion in state sales tax revenue in May, leading to the steepest year-over-year decline in over a decade, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Monday. The amount is 13.2% less than … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, Comptroller, coronavirus, economy, Glenn Hegar, quarantine, sales taxes, Texas | 1 Comment

School districts set to get financial relief for coronavirus

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas will distribute the vast majority of a $1.29 billion federal stimulus package to school districts this summer, using it to deliver on a promise that schools will remain fully funded this school year despite statewide closures due to … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged budget, Congress, coronavirus, Greg Abbott, Mike Morath, schools, stimulus, Texas, Texas Education Agency | Comments Off

Council adopts recycling bin fee

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: Beginning in July, Houston residents will find a new $1.14 fee on their monthly water bills for leasing the city’s garbage and recycling bins. A divided city council voted 8-6, with three members absent, to pass the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, fees, Houston, Houston City Council, recycling, Solid Waste Management Department, Sylvester Turner | 4 Comments

What the next CARES act could mean for Texas cities and counties

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Short answer, a lot. Cities and counties across Texas would get more than $29 billion from the $3 trillion coronavirus relief package House Democrats want to pass as soon as Friday. That includes more than $1.7 billion to Houston and … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged budget, Congress, coronavirus, deficit, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Harris County, Houston, Senate, stimulus, Texas | Comments Off

Here come the furloughs

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We said this was gonna be bad, right? Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, facing an economy hammered by the coronavirus pandemic and collapsing oil prices, on Tuesday proposed to close an upcoming budget gap by furloughing about 3,000 municipal workers, deferring … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Congress, coronavirus, deficit, HFD, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, layoffs, sales taxes, Sylvester Turner | 8 Comments

Still trying to avoid total budget disaster

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That federal money sure would help. As the prospect of mass furloughs and severe spending cuts looms over the city’s next budget, Houston officials are sitting on a pile of coronavirus stimulus money that amounts to more than double the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Local politics | Tagged budget, Chris Brown, Congress, coronavirus, deficit, economy, Houston, Houston City Controller, Marvin Odum, quarantine, stimulus, Sylvester Turner, Texas | 2 Comments

Down go the sales tax receipts

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bad. Expected, but bad. Texas collected $2.58 billion in state sales tax revenue in April — a roughly 9% drop from what the state collected the same month last year, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Friday. That drop, from $2.8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, Comptroller, coronavirus, economy, Glenn Hegar, quarantine, sales taxes, Texas | Comments Off

The rough fiscal road for school districts

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna be bad. How bad remains the question. Coronavirus already has wreaked havoc on school districts — closing campuses for the remainder of the school year, shifting learning online, and exposing a wide digital divide between students who have … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Board of Managers, budget, coronavirus, Dan Huberty, deficit, Glenn Hegar, HISD, property taxes, quarantine, rainy day fund, recession, revenue cap, schools, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Turner to ask feds for some relief

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t hurt to ask. Mayor Sylvester Turner is asking the federal government to let Houston use an estimated $400 million in aid to help close its ballooning budget gap and reduce the number of expected furloughs in the fiscal year … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged budget, Congress, coronavirus, deficit, Donald Trump, Houston, quarantine, recession, stimulus, Sylvester Turner | 1 Comment

Did we mention that the next city budget is gonna suck?

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because it is, in case we hadn’t mentioned it before. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that the coronavirus crisis will impact “every facet of city governance” and require furloughs of city workers, though he declined to say how many … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Annise Parker, budget, Chris Brown, coronavirus, deficit, Houston, layoffs, quarantine, Sylvester Turner | 20 Comments

Cities and counties are going to need their own bailout

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This story is about the rough financial future that the city of Houston faces as we go through the coronavirus shutdown, but it’s not just Houston that is in this position. As Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration continues efforts to slow … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, Chris Brown, Congress, coronavirus, deficit, Houston, Houston City Council, revenue cap, sales taxes, Sylvester Turner, Texas | 6 Comments

Coronavirus and the state budget

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t gonna be great. How bad, we don’t yet know. Comptroller Glenn Hegar briefed Texas House members on the state’s economy and budget Sunday night, saying that while it was too soon for specific forecasts, both are expected to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, Comptroller, coronavirus, deficit, Dennis Bonnen, Glenn Hegar, Greg Abbott, Houston, rainy day fund, revenue cap, sales taxes, special session, Texas, The Lege | 2 Comments

Morath’s big talk

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

But can he back it up? In his first public comments about plans to strip power from Houston ISD’s elected trustees, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Tuesday that the district’s leaders have engaged in “chronic neglect” of children in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Board of Managers, budget, Election 2019, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, Mike Morath, pre-kindergarten, recapture, school finance, schools, Texas, Texas Education Agency | Comments Off

Dan Patrick’s budget destruction

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not what you think it is, but it’s still bad. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Texas state government, an arcane team of 100 or so budget nerds has led a private, if stressful, life — running financial … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged budget, Dan Patrick, Dennis Bonnen, Election 2020, Jane Nelson, John Zerwas, Legislative Budget Board, Senate, Speaker's race, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Another ReBuild Houston lawsuit

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this puzzles me. A pair of Houston residents filed a lawsuit against Mayor Sylvester Turner and city council Monday, accusing them of failing to follow the will of voters who approved a charter amendment last year for funding … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Allen Watson, Annise Parker, Bob Jones, budget, drainage, Election 2010, Election 2018, flooding, Houston, lawsuit, property taxes, Renew Houston, revenue cap, Sylvester Turner | 7 Comments

The Chron on Boykins and Lovell

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Time for more profiles of Mayoral candidates. Here’s the Chron piece on Dwight Boykins. “My goal is to use this position as mayor to let people know that there is hope,” [CM Dwight Boykins] said. “I’m trying to help the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged budget, Dwight Boykins, Election 2015, Election 2018, Election 2019, gay rights, HFD, Houston, HPD, HPFFA, Mayor, pension fund, polls, Sue Lovell, Sylvester Turner, The Lege, transgender rights | 1 Comment

Will Radack and Cagle break quorum to stop a tax rate hike?

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll find out today. Harris County Commissioners Court has scheduled a vote Tuesday to hike property taxes by 8 percent, though the two Republican members can thwart the plan by simply skipping the vote. A quirk in the Texas Government … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, budget, Commissioners Court, Election 2018, Harris County, Jack Cagle, Lina Hidalgo, Paul Bettencourt, property taxes, quorum, revenue cap, Robert Eckels, Rodney Ellis, Steve Radack, The Lege | 9 Comments

Do you believe in magical thinking?

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I did not read this long profile of Tony Buzbee, because life is short and we all have better things to do. I did briefly scan the print version a bit, and in doing so I noticed the following paragraph, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged Annise Parker, budget, deficit, Election 2019, HFD, Houston, HPD, HPOU, layoffs, Mayor, property taxes, revenue cap, Sylvester Turner, Tony Buzbee | 15 Comments

Other counties also considering property tax rate hikes

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. A statewide property tax relief plan that takes effect next year is prompting hefty tax increases this fall in many of the biggest cities and counties in Texas, even in places that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Arlington, Austin, Bexar County, budget, Commissioners Court, Corpus Christi, Dustin Burrows, El Paso, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Lina Hidalgo, Medicaid, Paul Bettencourt, property taxes, revenue cap, Senate, Tarrant County, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, Webb County | 1 Comment

Commissioners Court gets more aggressive on environmental enforcement

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to hire 61 employees across three departments in a bid to significantly boost Harris County’s ability to respond to environmental emergencies after finding numerous shortcomings in its efforts to manage three chemical fires near … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, air quality, budget, Commissioners Court, fire, Harris County, Harris County Fire Marshal, Intercontinental Terminals, KMCO, Lina Hidalgo, pollution, Steve Radack | Comments Off

On to the next big financial issue for the city

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always something. Four years ago, the main source of Houston’s deteriorating financial health — billions of dollars in unfunded pension obligations — loomed over the race for mayor, promising a massive test for the winner. Now, Mayor Sylvester Turner, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, Chris Brown, Election 2019, Election 2020, health insurance, Houston, Houston City Controller, Mayor, Medicare, OPEB, revenue cap, Sylvester Turner | Comments Off

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