Pay increase for firefighters proposed as part of 2022 Houston budget

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner presented the proposed budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Turner announced the proposed budget for all funds is a total of $5.1 billion, which is an increase of $227 million from the 2021 budget.

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The spending plan also outlined funding for police, fire and other city departments and city services. This outline included a pay increase for Houston firefighters.

According to Turner, the money was made available by the Biden Administration, and “based on the advisory that we received yesterday, we’ll be in a position to provide a pay raise that the city can afford.”

Turner said the budget took a major hit because of the pandemic, and that, combined with a property tax revenue cap put the city at a $201 million budget shortfall. However, Turner said his proposed budget will close the gap.

Turner told KPRC 2 Investigates the proposed budget also includes no city layoffs for at least the next two years.


About the Author:

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.