Mayor John Whitmire is proposing a possible tax hike because the city needs to figure out how to pay for a $1.3 billion deal he made with Houston firefighters to give them raises.
His proposed plan could add $15 a month to property taxes for Houston homeowners. But, it will need voter approval first,
according to a report from our partners at the Chron.
In a conversation between Whitmire and former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Wednesday night, Whitmire said “everything is on the table” to pay for it.
READ MORE: Houston’s proposed deal with city firefighters will cost nearly $1.1B to 1.3B for taxpayers
As the city reached a deal with the City of Houston firefighters, it was revealed that it would cost taxpayers $1.3 billion for the next two decades.
Since the agreement to give firefighters raises was reached last month, that’s been the big question — How are we going to pay for it?
Whitmire threw out a few funding options during the discussion.
One of them was a possible garbage fee. The mayor said Houston is the only major city in Texas that doesn’t have one.