Notes on the Houston City Council Meeting on April 29, 2026
Agenda
- Monthly Financial Report
- Mayor’s Report*
- Consent Agenda (items that require a vote, like purchases, resolutions, ordinances, etc.)
- Council Member Pop-Off
*Mayor Whitmire did not do a report today.
Monthly Financial Report
Finance Director Melissa Dubowski and Controller Chris Hollins both gave their respective reports.
Controller Hollins predicts an ending fund balance for fiscal year 2026 of $276M, lower than the finance department’s because of different estimates regarding the TIRZ municipal service fee. Hollins explained the free tax prep service his office provided to city employees during tax season. He plugged an AAPI celebration at City Hall on May 7.
Hollins pivoted to the forthcoming budget.
- Hollins said the fire department has gone over budget by $73M this year. To compare, the entire solid waste budget is ~$101M and the entire park’s budget is ~$88M. He said these adjustments are due to “previous miscalculations about the true cost of the collective bargaining agreement,” backpay, and an arbitration ruling against the city totaling $13.7M. Hollins said the city withheld knowledge of the arbitration from the controller’s office and city council, which he called “concerning and disheartening.” He went on, “When the administration actively misleads and hides information … it makes it harder for us to do our jobs and for us to make fact-based decisions.”
- He also remarked on a “phantom” $17M savings built into this year’s budget that never materialized. This proposed $17M savings was attributed to “general government.” Hollins said, “The budget assumes that this money will be saved, but doesn’t specify how or from where. That’s not a plan. It’s a placeholder.” He said council was aware of this when they voted on the budget last year.
- Hollins referenced Mayor Whitmire’s remarks that claims of a $180M deficit are “overstated,” but Hollins said these numbers come from Whitmire’s own finance department. He implored council to look at the forthcoming budget with a realistic lens and make adjustments “based on reality, not wishful thinking.”
Director Dubowski predicts an ending fund balance for fiscal year 2026 of $300M. She said, “We feel comfortable with our projections at this point.” She compared her current EFB prediction with the EFB when the budget was adopted last year and said, “The current projection is off by 0.7% or about $5 million dollars.” Regarding the above mentioned “general government” department, she expects an increase of $17M due to “category management savings.”
Dubowski shared some numbers on the Houston economy, including the average oil price of $91 per barrel, a 41% increase from last month’s average price of $64.
CM Pollard asked Dubowski and Hollins to explain why the “general government” savings of $17M was included in the budget.
- Dubowski said the $17M estimate came from Ernst & Young looking into city contracts. E&Y said “other entities” saw 5-15% savings on “contractual obligations” by “going through the category management initiative,” which Dubowski said includes “really looking citywide at all the different contracts we have,” and making adjustments. She said $17M in savings was a conservative estimate. She gave a verbose but unenlightening description of category management.
Pollard asked what is the plan to address HFD spending in the forthcoming budget.
- Dubowski said that recruitment and retention should decrease overtime spending.
- Controller Hollins agreed that looking for savings is the right thing to do, but advocated for realistic budgeting that forecasts based on data. Hollins said the current budget problems were “highly predictable,” and that city council knew of these problems before they passed the budget.
CM Peck said that some HPD and HFD overtime funding gets reimbursed and should be taken into account when budgeting.
CM Alcorn cautioned against believing consultants who predict mystery savings. She asked Dubowski if they have a plan to budget for overtime spending next year. Dubowski said yes but did not offer details.
Agenda Items, Selected Works
- Item 1 approved the installation of speed cushions around the city, some funded privately and some with Council District Service Funds (CDSF), which is money allotted to each CM annually. CM Peck said that many of these projects are on hold due to price increases and asked for help finding new contracts.
- Item 5 approved $247K for a training simulator for the fire department.
- Item 7 approved $7M through November 2026 on a “pre-position contract” for disaster remediation, restoration, and related services due to natural disasters, building failures, and other unplanned incidents that need immediate attention.
- Item 10 would have approved an $325K grant to The Salvation Army to continue a homeless program, but was tagged by CM Thomas. There was no discussion.
- Item 11 approved $4M, which will support the development of Trinity East Senior in District D. CM Evans-Shabazz said this project “is part of the commitment to keep the residents in the CUNY homes in their familiar surroundings.” CM Thomas said the project will be a “jewel in District D” and, “The intention is not to displace but to keep people in their beloved neighborhood.”
- Item 12 approved an additional $1.2M for the ongoing renovation of Fire Station 31 in District H. $7.2M has already been spent.
- Item 13 approved a $3.2M contract increase for fencing city wide through December 2026.
- Item 16 increased the contract with an HVAC company by $23M (now totals $48M). More money is needed because of “ongoing system failures and emergency repairs resulting from aging infrastructure.”
- Item 18 approved an additional $600K to Harris Health Center and Bee Busy Wellness Center to continue a sexual health testing program at emergency departments.
- Item 21 approved an additional $6M (on top of $16M) for body cameras for the police department.
Council Member Pop-Off
- CM Alcorn said that Open Space Ordinance revisions will be presented at the planning commission on Thursday. She plugged her “My Two Cents” budget survey, which has over 600 responses and counting. Garbage, libraries, and parks have been top priorities so far.
- CM Carter said people have been contacting her with concerns about the 11th Street bike lanes.
- CM Evans-Shabazz advocated for the removal of the Blodgett Street bike lanes. She said she’s not against bike lanes but the neighborhood was not consulted and does not want them. She praised the new Target facility in District D, which she said will bring jobs to the area. She concluded with, “District D continues to lead through community engagement, public safety, workforce development and meaningful investment … and will be complete when we remove those bike lanes.”
- CM Castillo plugged Anchored in Action, a community investment plan developed by Port Houston. Regarding 11th Street bike lanes, Castillo reminded council of the community listening session he and CM Kamin hosted, where he said “the overwhelming majority of the folks did not want that project removed.” He said the data is clear regarding safety and offered to share information about the project.
- Mayor Whitmire asked how many people were there. Castillo estimated 100-150.
- Mayor Whitmire asked if the fire and police department attended. Castillo said he wasn’t sure, but HPW and other CM representatives definitely were.
- CM Flickinger shared a meeting on Saturday 5/2 from 9am-11am at Dylan Skate Park to discuss potential changes. There is an electronic recycling event this Saturday 5/2 from 9am-3pm at the Kingwood Park and Ride.
- CM Ramirez shared about his experience riding the MS-150 this past weekend.
- CM Thomas said that microsurfacing has started in nine locations across District F. She advocated for attention to homeless people on the westside. She asked people to call 311 for trimming of hazardous trees requests. The Barbara Quattro memorial at the Alief Neighborhood Center closes soon. The apartment ordinance will be on the agenda soon.
- Mayor Whitmire congratulated IAH workers on their new contract with a minimum wage of $20 per hour.
- CM Castex-Tatum plugged a community meeting on 5/5 at 5:30pm to go over construction in Westridge and Braes Terrace; more info at engagehouston.com. Street construction in Braes Oaks will start 5/4.
- CM Peck plugged the Public Safety committee meeting on 5/4 at 10am.
- CM Martinez congratulated airport workers on their new contract. He said load-in for FIFA fanfest starts 5/1 and the city is 43 days away from the World Cup. His team is volunteering at the Hays Center on Thursday, which supports kids aging out of foster care.
- CM Pollard gave props to Controller Hollins for his work around the budget. He thanked HPD for the swift termination of Ashley Gonzalez, who posted a TikTok of herself making racist comments. He has asked HPD to look into her previous cases to make sure there was no misconduct and to report to city council on their findings. Pollard complained about poor trash service in District J. “This isn’t rocket science. It’s just logistics and preparation and good communication.”
Who took these notes? And what resources did they use?
My name is Emily Hynds. I am a writer, small business owner, producer of the monthly storytelling series Grown-up Storytime, and lifelong Houstonian. I am not a journalist or government official. I am a local government enthusiast who believes meaningful change starts at home. These notes are presented from my point of view and with my framing and are not comprehensive. Your notes will certainly be different and I would love to read them if you attend.
I watched this City Council meeting via HTV: https://www.houstontx.gov/htv/
While compiling these notes I used the following sources:
https://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic
https://houwatch.com
budget survey: https://bit.ly/4cQi6z9
You can find your City Council Member and their contact info at: https://www.houstontx.gov/council/whoismycm.html
Thank you to the volunteers who proofread these notes.
My Patreon is patreon.com/emilytakesnotes.
