Seven billion dollars. That’s how much city of Houston Mayor John Whitmire expects to spend in his next budget. He unveiled the proposal Tuesday, and said it is “grounded in fiscal responsibility, service delivery reform, and a commitment to restoring trust in local government.”
Abandoned or dangerous animals might not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about a city’s budget.
But in light of recent violent attacks-
about which we’ve reported several times this spring
—animal control was among the concerns that Mayor Whitmire raised while talking about the city’s finances.
“BARC provides a great service,” Whitmire said. “We all love our animals. Animal welfare is a priority for most of us.”
BARC is the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. It not only handles animal law enforcement but also shelters unwanted pets.
According to the mayor’s office, BARC is representative of other city services in being short-staffed and underfunded, and Whitmire is not yet sure how to deal with it…be it extra fees, taxes, or other creative funding measures.
I plan to speak with Houston residents and provide them with choices,” Whitmire stated. “We’re all in this together. Absolutely, every possibility is being considered.
At first glance, the budget has increased by $200 million compared to last year’s figure. Despite this rise, the mayor claims he is being fiscally conservative following a voluntary severance package for qualifying municipal employees, which reduced urban expenditures by $99 million.
Every division is tackling our challenges head-on,” Whitmire stated. “Indeed, we are restructuring the municipal administration.
The mayor’s office recognizes that BARC is making the most out of the resources available to them. Similarly, both the police and fire departments are also maximizing their capabilities, collectively accounting for an increasingly significant portion of the city’s expenditures.
ABC13 discovered in March that according to BARC’s statistics, their team addressed 98.83% of all high-priority calls, specifically those related to hazardous animals. However, when including less urgent cases, the total response rate dropped to 58.3%.
Include pension liabilities, extra pay for overtime, garbage collection services, plus deteriorating infrastructure both above and below ground; these factors eat away at the city’s finances, and $7 billion isn’t what it once was worth.
On Wednesday, Controller Chris Hollins, who serves as the city’s fiscal overseer, will host a town hall meeting where he plans to discuss the budget process and provide some clarity on the figures involved.
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