This browser does not support the Video element.
Houston - WATCH WHAT'S YOUR POINT? AND WHAT'S YOUR POINT? OVERTIME! ON YOUR SMART TV
At a recent Houston city council meeting, Controller Chris Hollins said, "We all know the high-level math on this is its upwards of a billion dollars of financial impact for the city and it’s my responsibility at a baseline level understand what's going on in it before putting it forward to you."
Houston Controller Chris Hollins insisting on more time to review terms of a negotiated labor settlement between the city of Houston and its long-suffering firefighters - I say long-suffering because as we've consistently reported - these brave first-responders have been serving without a contract for eight brutal years.
Enter Mayor John Whitmire who almost immediately sat down at the table and hammered out a deal - $650 million for over-due back pay - five years of structured pay hikes and benefits moving forward to get Houston Fire Department competitive with other departments - and stop nearly a decade of destructive attrition.
Watch more What's Your Point? Join the conversation #FOX26
More on Firefighters Agreement and City Budget
- Throwing financial shade at Mayor Whitmire's labor deal
- Mayor Whitmire proposes $3 billion budget with not tax hike
"I didn't come here to rubber stamp Sylvester Turner's programs. Some are better than others. I am being driven by data." Houston Mayor John Whitmire discussing the deal reached on the high-profile Shepard Durham mobility project. The mayor has also expressed concerns over the unintended consequences of accepting federal funds with "strings attached".
After the interview with the Mayor I sat with the What's Your Point? panel for their feedback.
This browser does not support the Video element.