500 City Employees Face Layoff As Houston Moves Forward On Prop B

HOUSTON — The city will move forward with implementing Proposition B, but as many as 500 Houston firefighters and other employees could be laid off, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. Turner released a statement on Monday announcing Prop B’s implementation to increase firefighter pay 29 percent and bring them on the same scale as Houston police officers.

Prop. B won overwhelming support from Houston area voters during the Nov. 6 election, despite desperate pleas from Turner and other city leaders who mounted a concerted effort to halt the measure at the ballot box.

Turner has long stated that passage of Prop B would put a strain on city finances and lead to layoffs in numerous city departments.

“Nobody wants to see public employee layoffs, but just like hard-working Houston families, the city must live within its means and reduce expenses to pay its bills when income is limited,” Turner said. “There’s no magic wand we can use to make financial challenges disappear.”

Turner’s announcement drew sharp criticism from Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association President Marty Lancton, who accused the mayor of manufacturing a crisis.

“City politicians have spent hundreds of millions more on pet projects with little or no scrutiny. The mayor has hired 200 police and municipal employees since announcing the recent city hiring freeze,” Lancton said.

A year before Prop B was initiated, the city retained the services of PFM Group, an independent consulting firm, to review the city’s finances and departments.

Turner said the report recommended reducing the firefighter force by up to 845 positions through attrition and pointed out that fighting fires – versus providing emergency medical assistance and other functions – was less than 30 percent of the Fire Department’s workload.

Regardless, voters approved Prop B, and firefighters will be paid in accordance to Prop B, starting the second week in May, Turner said.

The City of Houston will send out notification letters to affected employees the first week of April, which will give those employees a 60 notice while the city looks for ways to minimize layoffs, Turner said.

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