Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced he is finally giving Houston firefighters the raise they have been fighting for.
Mayor Turner’s plans to implement Proposition B are a huge victory for HFD, but the mayor warns it will come at a huge cost for the City of Houston, in the form of layoffs to nearly 500 employees.
According to Mayor Turner’s plan, firefighters will see their 29-percent raise in their paychecks for the second week of May.
Since there was no funding source In place when voters approved the raise last year, the money will come from the city’s fund balance, which is used to balance the city’s budget. This is expected to leave the city with a budget gap of $197 million.
Mayor Turner said he has no choice but to lay off between 400 to 500 firefighters and city employees. These employees will start getting notices in April.
