The Houston City Council approved the use of $30 million from the city’s stormwater fund (roughly $167 million) to demolish 343 dangerous and abandoned buildings, a move Mayor John Whitmire framed as a necessary response to illegal dumping and drainage problems.
At the same time, City Controller Chris Hollins warned it could weaken fiscal oversight.
The decision followed a tense public exchange between Whitmire and Hollins, with council members split over whether demolition can legally qualify as stormwater maintenance.
A heated exchange
Hollins said his office flagged the proposal because it expands an existing contract from zero dollars to $30 million without what he described as proper fiscal review. He argued that the stormwater fund can only be used to plan, build, and maintain stormwater-related programs and facilities, and using it to demolish buildings would be “illegal” and would “gut the city charter.”…