Engage With Houston City Council On Firefighters Contract & All Issues

Below is a quick note I sent today to all Houston City Council Members about the big firefighters contract that may cost taxpayers as much as $1.5 billion. 

Houston City Controller Chris Hollins has many questions about the contract.       

It is important that Houstonians be involved in city government. It is easy to watch city council sessions.

Here is the home page of Houston City Council.  

Here is what I e-mailed--
 
Councilmembers: 

Regarding the firefighters contract:

The firefighters seem to be saying if you don’t give us what we want, we’ll go to court and bust the city budget. How is this the conduct of a good partner that cares about the City of Houston?

There was recently an extensive conversation at Council about the need for a proposal regarding speed bumps to go to a committee of Council. If that is the case for speed bumps, shouldn’t this giant firefighters contract be reviewed in open committee session? Mayor Whitmire says issues that are sent to committee are made stronger by the process. Shouldn’t that reasoning apply with such an important issue as this big dollar contract?  

Is Council-and by extension the public-involved in this process in a genuine way, or is it just
that the firefighters union will make a bunch of aggressive statements in the press and the Mayor will reflexively dismiss legitimate questions?   

This is an important matter that should be considered with as much openness and democracy as possible.    
​
Thank you. 

I've gotten a few replies from council offices of thank you for sending this and all that. I believe some number of Councilmembers saw the note. I'll keep at it. We all should keep at it.    

The firefighters could say we won't pursue a settlement that bankrupts the city. They could say the contract should be subjected to full review by the appropriate committees of Council and by all of Council. They don't say those things. So we need a Houston City Council willing to stand up to them. 

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