City of Houston leaders acknowledge budget ‘cannot be finalized’ without court approval of drainage settlement
Mayor John Whitmire wants a court to approve a pivotal settlement in a streets and drainage funding case by Friday. The move comes as efforts to block the agreement ramp up.
Houston City Council greenlights gradual increases to streets and drainage fund as part of lawsuit settlement
Instead of immediately complying with a voter-approved charter requiring a certain level of spending on street and drainage projects, the city will ramp up its spending over the next three years. If approved by the trial court, the settlement will help the city save more than $100 million over the next year.
City of Houston slashes budget deficit as mayor reaches deal with plaintiffs in streets and drainage lawsuit
As a result of a 2019 lawsuit filed by two Houston-based engineers, the city was required to allocate an additional $100 million to a voter-approved special fund for street and drainage projects by the end of June. Under the deal with the plaintiffs, the city will instead gradually increase its contribution to the fund over time, starting with $16 million this fiscal year, $48 million next year and the full amount by 2028.
Houston must allocate more money for drainage projects after Texas Supreme Court rejects appeal
The state's high court effectively upheld a 2024 appellate court ruling that found the city had been short-changing a special drainage fund that was created through a voter-backed charter amendment.
Houston must allocate millions more for drainage fund, appeals court rules
Houston Mayor John Whitmire says the city, already facing a budget crunch, will appeal Tuesday's decision, which was the latest development in a years-long legal battle over the implementation of a voted-approved charter amendment.
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