Mayor Vows No Layoffs After Prop B Is Ruled Unconstitutional

HOUSTON — A state district judge has ruled Proposition B unconstitutional. District Court Judge Tanya Garrison issued her ruling on Wednesday, saying the voter-approved measure granting pay parity to firefighters with the Houston Police department, violated Texas Local Government Code and the Texas Constitution.

The judges ruling also voided Prop. B.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, an opponent of Proposition B, read the judges ruling during Wednesday's city council meeting, and addressed the ruling with media afterward.

"This was a huge, positive ruling, not for me and not for members of the city council, not for any employee group...but it was a positive ruling and a positive statement for the city as a whole," he said. "This topic has been hard on the City of Houston."

Prop B has been ruled unconstitutional. pic.twitter.com/8XuywEo7A5
— Mayor_HOUCommunications (@houmayor) May 15, 2019

Turner said the judges ruling means the move to lay off 47 city municipal employees, and nearly 300 firefighters within the next month had been halted, that fire cadets will be sworn in and that demotions of more than 400 firefighters who were not laid off would not happen.

Mayoral Candidate Tony Buzbee, who recently came under harsh criticism from Turner after posing for a photo with firefighters at a Houston Fire Station, released a statement after his meeting with a group of 24 HFD Arson Division firefighters at the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund Memorial Garden.

“The smugness with which the Mayor announced the court’s ruling further reinforced my belief that he has a personal vendetta against Houston’s firefighters. He thinks he has won the battle; but the truth is he has lost the war.” Proposition B was approved by 298,000 voters in the last election. Buzbee further stated “the firefighters will ultimately get the raise we all voted for, one way or the other. We will not allow this mayor to use taxpayer money to pay his former law firm to use legal tricks to defy the will of the voters. If you are a politician in this town and you are supporting this mayor, you best jump ship. Your photo ops will be used against you very soon. If you are a donor, you might want to invest in someone else. If you do business with the city and you are a Turner campaign donor, get ready to be turned out. Change is coming!”

The Houston Professional Firefighters Association also released a responded to the judge ruling, and promised to appeal.

“The court’s Prop B ruling is a disappointment, but our fight for what’s right is far from over. Two courts have ruled on the constitutionality of Prop B – one for, one against. We certainly will appeal this ruling. We will continue to strive to force Sylvester Turner to respect the will of 298,000 Prop B voters who sent a strong message that Houston should equally value its police and fire personnel. The mayor’s vindictive, taxpayer-funded campaign against Houston firefighter families continues. While this fight goes on, we will continue to deliver excellent service, be good stewards of city resources, and give back to the communities we serve.”

Turner said he hopes to bring the Houston Professional Firefighters Association to discuss a pay increase for firefighters that the city can afford.

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