Contact: Lauren Laake (832) 393-3008

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Houston, TX - This afternoon, Houston City Council unanimously passed the Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund Budget, with Council Member Dave Martin voting in support for the first time since being sworn in on council.  

The budget, which totals $2.3 billion and balances a $160 million budget deficit, is an estimated $82 million less than the previous fiscal year and is thought to be structurally sound, fiscally conservative and balanced with recurring and nonrecurring revenues. In addition, the Fund Balance will be maintained at 9.2%, up from 7.5% as required by the financial policy adopted by City Council.  

After much discussion by City Council members and input received by Houstonians, Mayor Turner announced that the budget also maintains the city's commitment to the trash sponsorship program that would have affected nearly 21,000 homeowners in District E if eliminated. Additionally, the Council District Service Fund, which was originally proposed to be cut by nearly 75%, was maintained and will be funded at $750,000 in Fiscal Year 2017. Council Member Martin has been vocal in keeping these funds in place as District E has historically been underfunded in the city's Capital Improvement Plan, and over the past two years he has been able to use these funds to better improve the infrastructure and quality of life in the council district.   

Council Member Martin thanks Mayor Turner for his leadership in the past five months of his first term in office and for proposing an operating budget that will prepare the city for additional upcoming financial challenges including unfunded pension obligations. As chair of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee on Debt Financing and Pensions he looks forward to working with the administration and his colleagues in preparing an agreement to be presented to the state legislature this October.    

Next month, Mayor Turner will release his proposed Fiscal Years 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan. Council Member Martin has already been active in discussing needs for District E and looks forward to continuing discussions related to mobility needs in both Kingwood and Clear Lake.    

To watch a recap of today's City Council Budget meeting, please visit http://houstontx.city.swagit.com.