HOUSTON — The Houston City Council approved Mayor John Whitmire’s proposed $7.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year on a 15–1 vote, adopting a plan that closes a more than $200 million deficit without raising property taxes.
Whitmire presented the budget as a step toward stabilizing the city’s finances and said he would be held accountable for its implementation.
“I’m just as confident today as I was a month ago when we rolled it out,” Whitmire told council members ahead of the vote. “I want you to hold me, and I know you will, to the commitments that have been made.”
The budget introduces a $5 monthly administrative fee per residential unit to fund solid waste services. The fee will take effect July 1 and will appear on residents’ water bills. It is the only new revenue source included in the plan.
A proposed amendment to offset the fee for low-income residents, seniors and veterans was referred to a committee and was not immediately adopted. Whitmire said the proposal, as introduced, represented an illegal use of public funds, though he said he supported exploring a revised version.
Council Member Amy Peck said she supported the budget but raised concerns about the new fee, saying residents should receive improved service in return. She said she would consider introducing an ordinance to repeal the fee if service levels do not improve.
Council Member Alejandra Salinas introduced an amendment allocating $3 million for illegal dumping enforcement, including funding for surveillance cameras to identify offenders.
More than a dozen residents attended the meeting and protested the budget decision, including members of the Northeast Action Collective. Some demonstrators held signs and raised red cards in opposition before being removed from the council chamber by police.
The budget received the only opposing vote from Council Member Edward Pollard, who said the plan continued deficit spending and was not fiscally sustainable.
Houston Controller Chris Hollins also criticized the budget after its approval, saying it lacked transparency and accountability and relied on delayed financial adjustments.
Council members said the city faced ongoing fiscal pressure from prior deficits, while supporters of the budget said it maintained essential services without increasing property taxes.