Dominic Anthony Walsh

1 week ago | houstonpublicmedia.org | Dominic Anthony Walsh

More than $7 million from the neighborhoods department, $1.8 million from libraries and more than $4 million from health — those cuts are among the $289 million in slashed general fund spending from fiscal year 2025 to 2026, according to a proposed budget document presented Tuesday by Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

1 week ago | houstonpublicmedia.org | Dominic Anthony Walsh

Despite projections of a more than $200 million deficit, Houston Mayor John Whitmire promised a "balanced budget" during a news conference on Friday. "We won’t have a shortfall when we lay out the budget," Whitmire said. "We’re going to have a balanced budget next week, and we have addressed the shortfall."His promise came as the administration laid out a five-year contract with the Houston Police Officers' Association.

2 weeks ago | houstonpublicmedia.org | Dominic Anthony Walsh

The Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to delay by one week proposed changes to its Minority- and Women-Owned Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) program. The program sets percentage goals for groups that historically faced disparities in obtaining contracting opportunities from the city. The proposed changes were tied to a study examining city spending with different demographic groups.

2 weeks ago | houstonpublicmedia.org | Dominic Anthony Walsh

The Houston City Council will consider a contentious proposal Wednesday to change its minority business enterprise program, potentially removing Hispanic-, Asian- and non-minority, women-owned businesses from an initiative that sets percentage goals when hiring firms to complete city work. The proposed changes come after a study examined disparities in city spending.

2 weeks ago | houstonpublicmedia.org | Dominic Anthony Walsh

Houston residents have until Thursday to submit comments on the proposed abandonment of Polk Street in the downtown area. Houston First Corporation, the tourism and convention marketing arm of the city government, wants control over a section of the street next to the George R. Brown Convention Center ahead of a $2 billion expansion. The process has drawn criticism for a lack of community engagement and concerns about the loss of an artery between downtown and the East End.