Notes on the Houston City Council Meeting on June 10, 2026

Agenda

1. Mayor’s Report
2. Public Hearing*
3. Consent Agenda (items that require a vote, like purchases, resolutions, ordinances, etc.)
4. Council Member Pop-Off*

*I do not cover the public hearing or pop-off this week.

The Mayor’s Report

Mayor Whitmire plugged the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest from June 11 through July 19, a free block party near the Dynamo stadium that will screen every game, have concerts and other activities, and cooling centers.

Whitmire said that 419 Emancipation, a new navigation center for unhoused people, now has 177 residents and that some have already transitioned to other housing. He thanked partners and law enforcement.

Whitmire invited four pastors to speak. They all praised the budget.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 2 appointed three people to the Lake Houston Dredging District. CM Flickinger said that dredging prevents flooding and provides more drinking water capacity.
• Item 3 approved a street marker for Reverend Byrd Lacey Jr.
• Item 6 accepted final work and approved the final payment of $14M for the Spellman detention basin in District K. CM Castex-Tatum said this was first voted on in 2020 and will prevent flooding.
• Item 8 approved $1.9M for cancer screenings for HFD employees, now required because of Texas House Bill 198 (2025). $1.4M of this contract is paid for by a grant from FEMA.
• The following items increased contracts for water facility maintenance:
  • Items 14 and 15 added an $18.6M on top of ~$114M.
  • Items 17 and 18 added $18.4M on top of ~$51.6M.
  • Items 20 and 21 added $5.6M on top of $32M.
• Item 24 authorized a grant application to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) for two bicycle/pedestrian projects. CM Alcorn praised the “active transportation” at H-GAC’s Transportation Policy Council. CM Castillo said these improvements are near schools and parks and are on the high injury network.
• Item 34 approved $3M for the demolition of unspecified dangerous buildings.
• Item 43 approved $262K for temporary housing and dining services for HPD personnel during the World Cup.
• Item 51 approved the distribution of $220M in TIRZ funds. CM Ramirez advocated for a more equitable distribution across TIRZs. He said that Upper Kirby TIRZ will get $17M while the Fifth Ward TIRZ will only get $2M.

The Budget for Fiscal Year 2027

Houston’s fiscal year lasts July through June. The budget is named for the end year of the fiscal season. So, we’re getting ready for fiscal year 2027, aka FY27. The annual budget funds every department (Solid Waste, Public Works, Police, Fire, etc) and many of their programs. Funding for the budget includes tax dollars, state and federal money, investment returns, and more.

This budget moves the Solid Waste Department into Houston Public Works and imposes a new $5 “city utility system” fee, meant to support Solid Waste services. The fee will show up on water bills starting in August.

8 Council Members proposed amendments to the budget. The budget amendment process is just one of the ways CMs can exert influence, so some of them choose to do so. Many of the proposed amendments were ultimately withdrawn, sent to committee, and some were voted on. Of ~46 proposed amendments, ten passed.

CM Ramirez, At-Large 1, proposed five amendments. Here is a selection.

• R1.01 proposed spending $216K (funding source TBD) to fund three call-takers at the Crisis Call Diversion Center. A state-matching grant would fund a fourth call-taker. CM Ramirez said this could save the city $1.3M by not having to send police and/or firefighters to certain calls. This amendment passed.
• R1.02 proposed spending $115K (funding source TBD) for an additional licensed therapist to join the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT). CIRTs are a licensed therapist paired with a crisis-trained HPD officer. CM Ramirez said HPD Chief Hardin said in a budget workshop “we cannot have enough spending on these types of programs.” This amendment passed.
• R1.03 would have required each department to report quarterly on overtime overages, but was withdrawn and sent to the Budget and Fiscal Affairs committee for review. CM Panzarella criticized the police and fire departments for consistently going over budget on overtime. CM Alcorn wants to know where funding for overtime comes from. CM Ramirez said the public should know more about overtime spending.

CM Salinas, At-Large 4, proposed three amendments.

• S4.01 proposed transferring $3M from an HPW fund to pay for illegal dumping related expenses, such as hiring, depositories, cameras, and education. Many CMs and the mayor supported this amendment. CM Castex-Tatum advocated for “violator funding” to punish people who are caught illegally dumping. CM Flickinger suggested changing the HPD codes for “dumping in progress” so officers arrive quicker and catch people. Flickinger also advocated for changing the scrap tire ordinance to track tires once they are disposed of, not just when they are sold. This amendment passed.
• S4.02 proposed using $500K from vacant HPW positions to hire HPW temporary workers, such as inspectors and project managers. CM Salinas withdrew this amendment because HPW said they will accelerate hiring, particularly to fill all vacant inspector positions before the end of the year.
• Salinas also proposed a “table amendment” (which means it was proposed day-of) to create a hardship exemption for the new $5 fee. Salinas withdrew this amendment because the administration committed to bringing it back for a vote within two weeks.

CM Peck, District A, proposed 19 amendments … the most! Last year she proposed 30. Here is a selection.

• P6.01 proposed the new $5 administrative fee remain at $5 for the next two years and that written analysis be provided to council before a potential increase after two years. This amendment passed.
• P6.03 proposed sunsetting the Solid Waste container fee at the end of this year unless council votes to continue it. CM Peck argued that the fund the container fee goes into has a large fund balance because the city doesn’t have the means to replace people’s cans anyway. Mayor Whitmire argued the program will be better managed under the current leadership and new organizational structure. He said that when Director Hassan took over in 2025, the city didn’t have new cans to replace old ones, which explains why the funds weren’t being used. CM Peck pushed for a vote and this amendment passed 10-6 without support from the mayor, which almost never happens. Some CMs did not have their mic turned on during the vote so I can’t for sure tell you who voted what.
• If the general fund is higher than expected, P6.10 proposed moving 1% of the difference to the Budget Stabilization Fund, which passed.

CM Castillo, District H, proposed six amendments. Here is a selection.

• C13.01 proposed moving $75K from the general fund to pay for the LGBTQ+ Economic Empowerment Coordinator position, which was funded by a budget amendment last year. This amendment passed. CM Huffman voted no because it pulls from the general fund.
• C13.02 proposed using $500K from the general fund for BARC needs like kennel cleaning. This amendment passed. CM Huffman voted no.
• C13.03 proposed using $135K of the general fund to pay for two additional park rangers, but CM Castillo withdrew it. CM Alcorn complained that some people would rather close their neighborhood parks due to safety concerns. She brainstormed ways to get park maintenance paid for, such as help from Solid Waste cleaning up trash and bringing back people who took the early retirement incentive to work part time.

CM Castex-Tatum, District K, proposed two amendments.

• CT16.01 proposed using a HPW fund to hire 11 code enforcement officers, one for each district. CM Castex-Tatum proposed a similar amendment last year that she withdrew. She also withdrew it this year because HPW Director Macchi said they are hiring more people.
• CT16.02 proposed using $250K from the administrative fee revenue for an education campaign to reduce recycling contamination. This amendment passed.

Mayor Whitmire remarked on the outreach and support this budget received. He said there will be no property tax raise. They will continue to seek funding from the state, county, and federal governments. He thanked his team and the departments for their budget work. He said, “There is no perfect budget … We can definitely make improvements. We’re going to do that when we review overtime in our departments.” He thanked CMs for not playing politics and showing that they can work together. He criticized misinformation but said it’s best to ignore it. He concluded by saying he would be mindful of city employees, whose contract is up in September. He said Solid Waste employees have been overworked and underpaid.

CM Peck said that although it’s difficult, she planned to vote yes. She said she is concerned about the $5 fee and wishes the city had considered privatization of services first.

CM Pollard criticized the mayor for overspending and increasing the city’s deficit without improving services. He called the new $5 fee a “patchwork job.” He said that adding Solid Waste into the combined utility system is a hack to use water funding for trash. He pledged to vote no.

CM Panzarella said he would vote yes because District C residents demand better Solid Waste services. He called the $5 fee a regressive tax. He criticized overtime spending at police and fire.

CM Alcorn praised this budget, calling it “smart” and “lean and mean.”

CM Evans-Shabazz said the mayor has shown up for District D and she would be voting yes.

CM Jackson said she “feels really good about this budget.” She did not submit any amendments because her budget priorities are fully supported.

CM Ramirez suggested the city begin public engagement earlier than May.

This budget passed. CM Pollard voted no. CM Thomas was absent.

After the vote, some members of the audience began chanting “Fund our needs, not more police,” and “Houston says ‘shove it’ to Whitmire’s budget.” They were escorted out but could still be heard chanting from the hallway for the next few minutes.

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
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/whitmire-trash-fee-passes-budget-22292921.php

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.