HOUSTON – As talks continue over Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s proposed $7.5 billion city budget, Houston City Controller Chris Hollins has launched a new online tool, he says, aimed at showing residents how a proposed monthly garbage fee could impact their finances.
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The interactive tool, called “This Fee is Garbage,” lets Houstonians compare the proposed $5 monthly garbage fee against other possible ways the city could raise the same amount of revenue.
“The budget is not just City Hall math. It shows up in people’s monthly bills,” Hollins said in a press release announcing the tool. “Before residents are asked to pay a new fee, they should be able to see the numbers for themselves. This tool gives Houstonians a clearer way to understand what is being proposed, who carries the burden, and what the long-term cost could become.”
The proposed fee has become one of the most contentious parts of Whitmire’s budget plan.
Under the proposal, Houston households would pay a new $5 monthly “administrative fee” tied to solid waste services beginning next fiscal year. City officials say the fee is necessary as solid waste operations transition into a utility model under state law.
“First of all, state law says you cannot provide a utility, which solid waste is becoming, without a charge,” Whitmire previously said.
According to city officials, the fee would generate approximately $24 million to $25 million annually and would remain at $5 for at least the first two years. Any future increases would require city council approval.
But Hollins has repeatedly criticized the proposal, arguing it disproportionately impacts lower-income residents and lacks sufficient transparency.
“This budget shifts costs onto working families,” Hollins previously said. “It hides the price tag of city services, and it puts Houston on a dangerous financial path.”
The controller claims the new tool allows residents to enter their taxable home value and compare how much they would potentially pay under different revenue scenarios.
In the release, Hollins’ says homeowners with taxable home values below $875,000 would pay more under the garbage fee than they would under a property tax increase designed to generate the same amount of revenue. Hollins noted the average taxable home value in Houston is approximately $300,000.
Under the current proposal, every household would pay the same amount regardless of income level or property value. But the mayor’s office said there could be discounts for low-income families and seniors.
“A flat fee hits every household the same on paper, but not in real life,” Hollins said in the release. “Five dollars may sound small to some, but the starting point is not the full story. The city’s own solid waste study projects the fee would need to rise to $46 per household per month by Year 5 to cover the true cost of service. That’s over $500 a year.”
Hollins said the tool is not endorsing raising property taxes, but instead as a way to let Houstonians see options.
“The Controller’s Office does not decide how the city spends money or raises revenue,” Hollins said. “Our job is to show the numbers, explain what they mean, and make sure Houstonians have the facts before decisions are made. If City Hall is asking residents to pay more, the burden should be visible before the bill arrives.”
The budget is in the city’s review process before a final council vote expected in June. If approved, the new budget would take effect July 1.