Houston voters in November will choose whether to grant firefighters pay “parity” with police of corresponding rank and seniority.
After weeks of wrangling over the issue — including angry debates, rare legislative maneuvers and allegations of electioneering — the city council voted unanimously Wednesday to place the proposal before voters Nov. 6.
Mayor Sylvester Turner initially gave council the option of scheduling the vote in November 2019 instead, but ultimately pulled that item from the agenda. Still, Turner repeated his concerns about the idea on Wednesday, saying it will cost the city $98 million a year and force layoffs.
The mayor said he intends to host a town hall meeting in each of the 11 council districts before November to educate voters on the issue.