by Lee McGuire
Inside Houston City Hall

CITY HALL -- Michelle Mitchell, Houston's finance director, is warning City Council members at a budget briefing that rising fuel costs threaten to drag down the city's future budget plans.

"The cost for fire and police is so high that if we're not conservative in other areas, then we could face some real issues," Mitchell said.

She is briefing members of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee on her projections for the next five years. Just as the city is finally gaining control over its pension plan, Mitchell says, fuel prices and a slowing national economy threaten to take a real bite out of the next few budget cycles.

More than half of the projected growth over the next five years come from public safety issues, Mitchell says. Much of that includes a police pay raise and more money for recruitment and training of new officers. But, she added, she thinks the city's current projection for a multi-million dollar increase in fuel costs won't be enough.

1 Comments

The Blue Village said:

Houston Police Officers Seek Higher Pay Scales: http://thebluevillage.com/blog/?p=65

May 28, 2008 12:06 AM

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