WEDNESDAY TOP NEWS LINKS:
Video: Single stream recycling is featured
in new budget rollout. (KHOU 11 News)
Laurie Johnson, KUHF Public Radio
Houston Mayor Annise Parker released her proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 this week. The $4.9 billion budget includes pay raises for city employees — restored services and expanded recycling.
For anyone not familiar with the city budget, the total of $4.9 billion includes enterprise funds like the aviation department, convention facilities and dedicated drainage fund.
The general fund of $2.2 billion is the part that is tax supported and pays for general city services.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker says over the past three years the city has slowly restored many of the cuts made during the recession and this budget completes that process.
“The budget does not require a tax increase, and I would characterize this budget as reasonable and realistic.”
The proposed $2.2 billion general fund is a nearly 5% increase over the 2013 budget. It includes contractually obligated pay increases for the city’s three employee groups, three percent for police and municipal and one percent for fire. It also keeps the Rainy Day Fund fully funded at $20 million.
“My first few years in office, I came in halfway through a budget cycle and immediately had to start cutting spending. And that first budget, we had to slash several hundred million dollars. I feel like I spent my first term in office plugging holes in a leaky boat. But the boat stayed afloat, and now we have the funds to repair the hull and paint the boat and put up a new sail and we’re moving forward.”
(Hear more of this story at KUHF Public Radio)
ALSO SEE: Houston homes with single-stream recycling could double (Chron.com)
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- Houston group among those targeted by IRS? (KTRK 13 News)
- Woman’s Center Says It’ll Be Fine Without Astros Support (KUHF Public Radio)
- Good Samaritan hospitalized after saving woman from stabbing (KRIV 26 News)
- What The Failed $500 Million Bond Proposal Means For Lone Star College (KUHF Public Radio)
- Houston siblings indicted in Medicare fraud case (Chron.com)
- What’s Wrong With The Latest Survey On How Safe Houstonians Feel? (KUHF Public Radio)
- Houston Not Very Racist, Homophobic Based on Twitter “Geography of Hate” Map (Houston Press)
STATE HEADLINES:
- Options Narrow In Legislature For Helping Low-Income, Uninsured Adult Texans (KUHF Public Radio)
- New Movement on Funding State Water Plan (State Impact Texas)
- DPS urges Texans to prepare early for hurricane season (Your Houston News)
- Fort Hood assault prevention chief under investigation (USA Today)
NATION & WORLD:
- Senate immigration bill includes amendment prompted by Boston bombing (Washington Post)
- IG Report: ‘Inappropriate criteria’ stalled IRS approvals of conservative groups (Washington Post)
- Jolie’s Disclosure of Preventive Mastectomy Highlights Dilemma (New York Times)
- An Atrocity in Syria, With No Victim Too Small (New York Times)