Houston mayor says City Controller Chris Hollins should ‘stop playing politics’ over budget deficit
Hollins has been calling for an emergency task force to address a more than $330 million budget deficit. Mayor John Whitmire said the city controller should “stop playing politics with a serious matter.”
Houston ethics committee considering rule changes after Mayor Whitmire’s ‘pay-to-play’ allegations
After the mayor and controller traded allegations of corruption, the city’s ethics committee has canceled two meetings. The committee co-chair said members are working on new rules.
Controller Hollins: Paying for firefighters’ settlement will likely require tax hikes and budget cuts
Chris Hollins stressed that the firefighters were long overdue for a raise and that the settlement would make their pay competitive with that of their counterparts in other large Texas cities. But Houston’s firefighters’ union accused him of playing politics.
Hollins, Alcorn agree tax hikes and a trash fee will be needed to stave off a fiscal crisis
City Controller Chris Hollins and City Council Member Sallie Alcorn, who chairs the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, said trying to fix Houston’s budget with cuts alone would require steep layoffs and crippling cuts to city services.
New Houston City Controller Chris Hollins ready to tackle city’s financial challenges
Hollins is walking in with potential financial challenges ahead, like the end of tens of millions of dollars in COVID relief funds. Former controller Chris Brown projected the city will face a projected budget shortfall of over $250 million if it doesn't cut back on spending.
Houston Public Media