Voters on Tuesday granted Houston firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank and seniority, giving a boost to firefighters who long have felt neglected by City Hall while dealing a blow to Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city budget he administers.
The passage of Proposition B sets up a potential court fight over the legality of the measure, and raises the possibility that Turner may swiftly implement his pledge to lay off more than 850 firefighters and scores of other city workers to accommodate what he repeatedly has called the measure's "unaffordable" cost. Turner and the city budget he administers.
The passage of Proposition B sets up a potential court fight over the legality of the measure, and raises the possibility that Turner may swiftly implement his pledge to lay off more than 850 firefighters and scores of other city workers to accommodate what he repeatedly has called the measure's "unaffordable" cost.
Recommended Video
Turner and City Controller Chris Brown have projected pay "parity" will cost more than $100 million in its first full year of implementation, constituting a more-than-25 percent raise for firefighters.