Houston City Council approves record $650 million fireman agreement.
Houston firefighters will begin to experience the fruits of a $650 million settlement, which includes back pay owed to firemen who worked without a contract for eight years, as well as salary rises and incentive pay for the next five. (Cassandra Jenkins / Community Impact) The Houston City Council has completed the final phase in an eight-year legal dispute between the city of Houston and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association.
What happened? Council members voted unanimously on June 17 to accept the $650 million collective bargaining deal, which has been debated since the settlement’s contents were made public in March. Council’s acceptance of the agreement was the final stage in completing the transaction after the bond issuance was approved on June 12, and the agreement was certified by the city controller’s office on June 17 after a two-week hold.
The $650 million settlement covers both the back pay owed to firefighters who worked without a contract for eight years and the new deal between the city and the union, which includes wage rises, incentive pay, and training. The firefighters’ new contract will be in effect until fiscal year 2028-29.
Breaking It Down With interest and debt service, city authorities estimated that the deal would cost around $1.5 billion and take 25-30 years to pay off. While no new revenue sources have been discovered to pay off the bond in the coming years, Mayor John Whitmire said he has strong ideas about how the city will fund the deal.
Some possibilities being discussed by council members and Whitmire’s administration include a monthly waste collection fee and even increasing the voter-approved property tax revenue limit. “I understand that it is expensive,” Whitmire stated. “It was always going to be expensive,… but we need to get out of the courthouse and back to running the fire department, which is focused on public safety. Obviously, it will be difficult to pay for. Nobody denies that, but we can’t afford not to, and it’s a fair resolution.”
Council also adopted the FY 2024-25 budget on June 12, which included approximately $200 million from the city’s historic $420 million savings account to help pay down the contract’s costs.
What are they saying? Councilman Willie Davis termed the $650 million price tag as unpleasant and sacrificial, but necessary. “It is painful to see a dollar amount like this, but it’s also painful that these men and women of the fire department have worked and sacrificed since 2016,” he stated. “They did not abandon their commitment, even though they may have been short on manpower. I feel it is time for us to put our trust in this leadership, and I believe in our city.”
Several Houston firefighters who attended the meeting gave a standing ovation after the final decision. In a later statement, HPFFA President Marty Lancton urged Houston firefighters and their families to celebrate the well-deserved victory.
“This is a historic day,” he stated. “Today’s vote by City Council is not just a resolution of past grievances—it’s a recognition of our sacrifices and a commitment to providing the resources needed to continue serving Houston with dedication and pride.”
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